Something I’ve always found interesting about the Hmong language is how a word completely changes meaning depending on how it’s spoken. Hmong is a tonal language, so each word must be spoken with a particular tone, similar to different pitches in music. Unfortunately, there’s no current system in place to describe Hmong tones with written words, but I hope you’ll feel inspired to look up more information about tonal languages and how fascinating they are!

cag ntoo (kah thohng) the Hmong word for roots.

ceg ntoo (kay thohng) the Hmong word for branches.

cev ntoo (kay thohng) the Hmong word for trunk.

choj (kaw) the Hmong word for bridge.

dab neeg (dah nehng) literally translated, the Hmong word dab can mean monster/ghost or even just creature not of this world, and neeg means person/people. However, when the two words are used together, the phrase dab neeg means Hmong folktales or myths, traditionally told orally.

Dab Qhov Txos (dah qaw tsaw) the spirit of the stove. A house spirit that lives in the fireplace used for cooking. They are generally helpful, but can cause illness in the family if offended.

Dab Teb (dah thay) the Spirit Realm, where mortal souls go after death. Living mortal souls can also get lost there when they’re frightened out of their bodies—for example, due to an accident or shock—requiring a shaman to retrieve them.

Dab Txhiaj Meej (dah TSEE-uh muhng) the spirit of the front door. A house spirit honored with prayers that are annually renewed by a shaman or someone who knows the ritual ceremony. During the ceremony, the shaman drapes a strip of red cloth over the door so that the spirit will bless the family with prosperity.

Dab Xwm Kab (dah soo kah) the spirit of the altar. A house spirit that some consider a minor god of wealth. Caring for the family altar can gain its favor, but the spirit can also cause illness if the altar is neglected.

Echo one of the six realms. It is a copy of the mortal realm, a safe haven created by the gods for spiritfolk fleeing the growing dominance of mortals in the mortal realm.

Elder Gods the Council of Elder Gods is made up of the four oldest and most powerful of the Hmong gods: Ntuj, Huab Tais Zaj, Nhia Ngao Zhua Pa, and Xov, who was replaced by Xiav after his imprisonment.

Gao Pa (gow pah) Ntuj’s youngest daughter and Shee Yee’s mother.

hluas (huh-LOO-uh) the Hmong word for young.

Hmong (hmuhng) an ethnic minority with many different tribes, customs, and dialects. The Hmong originated in the mountainous regions of China, and then migrated across Southeast Asia. A variation of “hmoob.”

Huab Tais Zaj (HOO-uh thahy zhah) Dragon Emperor of Zaj Teb, the Land of Dragons. God of rivers and lakes. All rivers originate in Zaj Teb, where Huab Tais Zaj ensures their continual flow throughout the six realms. He is the Sky Father’s son-in-law. He trained his nephew (by marriage) Shee Yee to become a master swordsman, archer, and rider, and also taught him how to use magic, including transmutation and shape-shifting.

koj xiam hlwb lawm los (kaw SEE-uh hloo luh law) Hmong phrase that generally means Have you lost your mind?

miv (mee) the Hmong word for cat.

mos (maw) the Hmong word for soft.

nab vam (nah vah) a Hmong dessert made of tapioca pearls and green jelly mixed with ice, caramelized sugar, and coconut milk.

Nhia Ngao Zhua Pa (NEE-uh gow ZHOO-uh pa) a shape-shifting goddess and the progenitor of all shape-shifters except dragons. She’s the most meddlesome of the Elder Gods, because she’s a trickster and loves to prey on selfish mortal men. She features prominently in many Hmong folktales as a tragic heroine or damsel, because she’s good at hiding her true nature behind deception.

niam tais (NEE-uh thahy) the Hmong word for an aunt on your mother’s side. It’s also a polite way to address an older woman you don’t know.

nplooj (blohng) the Hmong word for leaf.

Ntuj (thoo) the Hmong word for sky; the Sky Father, the creation god and most powerful of the Hmong gods. He was the firstborn son of the first man and woman after they emerged from the core of the world. He lifted the sky and created four pillars to hold it up. He then fashioned two celestial lanterns—the sun and the moon—and ordered them carried across the sky to divide the days.

nyom (nyaw) the Hmong word for grass.

poj ntxoog (paw zohng) a demon typically associated with vengeful spirits who were either kidnapped by other demons or who can’t move on. They often take the form of young women with tangled hair and backward feet, although they aren’t exclusively female.

shaman Hmong shamans are gifted with the ability to communicate with spirits and travel through the Spirit Realm via ritual ceremonies. They are spiritual leaders called to the profession, typically through dreams or sickness.

Shao (shau) a mortal who tried to follow in Shee Yee’s footsteps and dared to enter the gods’ home in the Sky Kingdom. He was blessed with immortality and the powers of an oracle. At the same time, he was cursed to help any traveler who sought his advice.

Shee Yee (shee yee) a grandson of Ntuj; the first and most powerful Hmong shaman. His father was a mortal, and his mother was Gao Pa, the youngest and favorite of Ntuj’s daughters. His given name was Tong (tawng), but he was renamed Shee Yee once he mastered his skills.

six realms consisting of the mortal realm, the Echo, the Spirit Realm, the Land of Dragons, the Sky Kingdom, and the realm of the ancestors.

Sky Kingdom where the Elder Gods live and oversee the other realms.

spiritfolk any non-mortal spirit, including beast, nature, and guardian spirits.

suab nag (SHOO-uh nah) the Hmong phrase meaning the sound of rain.

Tree of Souls where all mortal souls go after death in order to await reincarnation.

xauv (sau) a traditional Hmong necklace made of silver interlocking chains in varying and intricate designs. The word xauv means lock.

Xiav (SEE-uh) the Hmong word for blue; the blue thunder dragon who replaced Xov on the Council of Elder Gods.

Xov (saw) the Hmong word for thread; Ntuj’s younger brother; the god of thunder, destruction, and wrath. In the beginning of the world, for a brief time, he also held the position of official executioner for Ntuj. He fathered the world’s first demons. When his horde of children chased him across the Sky Kingdom, he opened the door to the other realms to save himself, thereby unleashing his murderous offspring upon the world, along with disease and strife. He was ultimately defeated and imprisoned by his great-nephew, Shee Yee.

Yeng (yehng) the immortal arborist who cares for the Tree of Souls. She was once mortal but was trapped within the tree by Nhia Ngao Zhua Pa, and she remained there for so long that she became a part of the tree itself. A variation of yeej.

Zaj Teb (zhah thay) the Land of Dragons (literal translation).

zhong (zhawng) variation of the Hmong word for forest, traditionally hav zoov (hah zhohng).