chữ Nôm
noun
Hanoi [t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥ nom˧˧]Huế [t͡ɕɨ˧˨ nom˧˧]Saigon [cɨ˨˩˦ nom˧˧] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
Meanings of chữ Nôm in English
Noun
- a historical writing system derived from Chinese characters that was once used to write Vietnamese
- certain writing system(s) derived from Chinese characters historically used by certain groups of speakers of Tai languages in Vietnam to write their language(s), now usually grouped together as chữ Nôm Tày ("the Nôm script of the Tày people")
- Chữ Nôm của dân tộc Tày tỉnh Bắc Kạn vừa được công nhận là Di sản văn hóa phi vật thể cấp quốc gia.The Nôm script of the Tày people of Bắc Kạn Province has just been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, chữ Nôm could be written as 字喃, 𡨸喃, 𡦂喃. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
From chữ (“character”) + Nôm (“vulgar”), Nôm referring to the vernacular language. Nôm originally meant south. See nôm na.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce chữ Nôm?
IPA: Hanoi [t͡ɕɨ˦ˀ˥ nom˧˧]; Saigon [cɨ˨˩˦ nom˧˧]. Tones: chữ — creaky rising tone (ngã), nôm — level tone (ngang).