The language spoken in Vietnam is called Vietnamese or locally Vietnamese which is called tiếng Việt, and is a testimony of the social and political development of Vietnam and its contact with other countries. As a result of its historical evolution the language has become a modern Vietnamese language spoken by more than 75 million people worldwide. My article also explores to reveal the historical background, modern relevance, and peculiarities of the Vietnamese language, describing its amazing path through history.
Origins and Historical Evolution
The Vietnamese language has a rich history; indeed, a complex history that is able to mirror or explain the changes that have occurred in the region as well as the Austroasiatic language family. Its roots are attributed to the Mon-Khmer language family tree, which forms part of the Austronesian language family. Vietnamese over the course of the years has evolved through many changes, which are as a result of Chinese domination, Vietnamese independence, and French domination. The evolution of Vietnamese can be divided into several key periods: The evolution of Vietnamese can be divided into several key periods:
- Proto-Viet–Muong (7th Century): The primitive Vietnamese that was eventually to evolve to its present form of usage among the Vietnamese population.
- Proto-Vietnamese (7th to 9th Century): The third phase can be considered as a transitional one in which the starting basis of the language was formed.
- Archaic Vietnamese (9th to 10th Century): Vietnamese under the Nguyen Dynasty started to transform towards borrowing terms from Chinese, but in the middle of the nineteenth century the French language was employed solely in official missions.
- Ancient Vietnamese (15th Century): Chữ Nôm is the writing system of Vietnamese which is written with the Chinese + arte.
- Middle Vietnamese (17th to 19th Century): The development of Mexican Spanish as a variety of today’s Spanish language The formation or “Chữ Quốc ngữ,” an adopted Latin script as a sign of modernization of the language.
- Modern Vietnamese (19th Century to Present): The modern form of the language that evolved with the history and experiences as well as constant transformations.
Vietnamese as an Official Language
Vietnamese enjoys the status of being the official language of Vietnam, expressing the nationality and unity of the country and the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Besides Vietnam, it is used in Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, while being officially recognized as a minority language in the Czech Republic. There is also a large Vietnamese speaking population residing in Australia.
Being the official and the ubiquitously used medium of communication, Vietnamese is the marker of Vietnam and its capability to adapt to the changes. The government is also fully supportive of the language: it seeks to protect the language from the destructive influence that globalization exerts on native languages and stresses its role in education, media and all other formal spheres.
Dialects and Regional Nuances
Vietnamese, therefore, is diverse in the dialectal variation due to the ethnic and geographical differences existing in Vietnam. These regional dialects add unique flavors to the language:
- Northern Dialect: Based in Hanoi, this particular is recognized as being the normal Vietnam dialect. Its clear and sharp pronunciation is considered model for formal education in the country and its national broadcasting.
- Central Dialect: This dialect is heard most frequently in Hue; its tones sound rather musical and play on historical motifs.
- Southern Dialect: The other and much more popular regional language is the Southern which is smooth and melodic in tones, as are the people of Ho Chi Minh City.
Minority Languages and Linguistic Diversity
Usually the term is used to discuss issues related to ethnicity and linguistic diversity.
Some notable minority languages of Vietnam are:
- Tay: The name is derived from a phrase that means ‘the land where we consume sugar cane raw’. Being a part of Thai Group it is also spoken in Laos and Cambodia too.
- Cham: Spoken in the coastal region of central of Vietnam it is part of the Malayo-Polynesian group of the Austronesian family of languages and is divided into two further sub-branches: the eastern and the western Kem.
- Khmer: This is explained by language connection where Cambodian language, known as Khmer Krom is spoken in Vietnam as a result of a cultural and geographical bond.
- Muong: A language of the Mon-Khmer family of Bahnaric branch spoken by the Muong living in northern Vietnam and written with the modified Vietnamese script.
- Nung: It is a Tai-Kadai language of Vietnam’s Northern region; it has a rather well-known sub-variety, the Nuang Phan Slinh.
- Hmong: It is a member of the Hmong-Mien branch and spoken in some southern part of china, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.
Linguistic Features of Vietnamese
Vietnamese is distinguished by several unique features:
- Tones and Melodies: Northern dialect seven tones are distinguished whereas in the Southern dialect only five tones have been distinguished. This tonal system increases the difficulty of the Chinese language because of the music like features which it possessed.
- Mid-Level (không dấu): a, ă, â, e, ê, i, o, ô, ơ, u, ư, y
- Low Falling (dấu huyền): à, ằ, ầ, è, ề, ì, ò, ồ, ờ, ù, ừ, ỳ
- High Rising (dấu sắc): á, ắ, ấ, é, ế, í, ó, ố, ớ, ú, ứ, ý
- High Broken (dấu ngã): ã, ẵ, ẫ, ẽ, ễ, ĩ, õ, ỗ, ỡ, ũ, ữ, ỹ
- Low Rising (dấu hỏi): ả, ẳ, ẩ, ẻ, ể, ỉ, ỏ, ổ, ở, ủ, ử, ỷ
- Heavy (dấu nặng): ạ, ặ, ậ, ẹ, ệ, ị, ọ, ộ, ợ, ụ, ự, ỵ
- Alphabet, Grammar, and Syntax: In the Vietnamese language, there are 17 consonants, 11 vowel compounds and 32 diphthongs. The grammar is analytic so it uses the position rather than changing verbs whereas English might have SVO, so it’s easier to learn for the English speakers.
- Vocabulary Riches: Chinese and French with recent addition of English language left its imprints on the Vietnamese vocabulary which mirror the cultural heritage of this nation. Terms have been borrowed from science, medicine politics and modern technological advances.
Conclusion
Vietnamese is remarkably rich and it’s one of the languages that tell a lot about the historical and cultural development of Vietnam. Another factor that raises it as a strong language is the fact that it evolved from the ancient linguistic and became influenced by different cultures. For as long as Vietnam moves forward into the perils and advantages of globalization, the language, at the same time, lies as a cornerstone to the country, history, tradition, and culture that warmly welcomes Vietnamese people as well as learners of the language across the globe to embrace the distinctiveness as well as the intricacies of the language.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Pasha is an analyst and expert on Central Asia, South East Asia, China, Türkiye and Middle East having experience in the field of article writing in various renowned journals and newspapers across the globe. Furthermore, he is a writer and poet.
