txiv lws suav

White Hmong

Etymology

txiv (“fruit”) +‎ lws (“eggplant”) +‎ suav (“Chinese”), literally “Chinese eggplant-fruit”, as tomatoes were presumably introduced to Hmongic tribes by Sinitic peoples (perhaps merchants). Alternatively, the suav may be borrowed from Chinese 西 (xī, “west”); compare Chinese 西紅柿／西红柿 (xīhóngshì, “tomato”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ɕi˧˦.lɨ˩.ʂuə̯˧˦/

Noun

txiv lws suav (classifier: lub)

1. tomato

   Synonym: txiv lws liab

References

• Jaisser, Annie, Ratliff, Martha, Riddle, Elizabeth, Strecker, David, Vang, Lopao, Vang, Lyfu (1995) Hmong For Beginners‎^[1], Center for Southeast Asia Studies, UC Berkeley, page 280.