me nyuam mos
The Hmong phrase for baby is me nyuam mos.
me nyuam mos is used to refer to a very young human being.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Did you know?
- Depending on the dialect, the word mos can also refer to a 'midge' or a small fly, creating a linguistic overlap between the word for a tiny human and a tiny insect.
- The Hmong language uses specific kinship terms that are much more precise than 'baby' or 'child' to distinguish whether a baby is on the father's or mother's side of the family.
- The term me in me nyuam mos translates to 'small' and is frequently used as an affectionate prefix for people and animals to show tenderness.
Examples in context
- Me nyuam mos no pw tsaug zog.The baby is sleeping.
- Me nyuam mos no zoo niam zoo txiv.The baby has good parents.
Example conversation
Mai and Xiong are looking at a photograph.
- MaiSaib lub me nyuam mos no, Xiong.Look at this baby, Xiong.
- XiongNws zoo nkaus li koj.He looks just like you.
- MaiNws yog kuv tus pus.He is my nephew.
- XiongLub me nyuam mos hnyav ntau lossis tsis hnyav?Is the baby heavy or not?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
