qaum

White Hmong

Etymology

From Proto-Hmong *ɢuwᴰ (“back (of body)”). Note similarities to Old Chinese 後 (OC *ɢoːʔ, *ɢoːs, “back; after”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /qau̯˩̰/

Noun

qaum

1. (in compounds) the back

Derived terms

• kwj qaum (“the "valley" or depression of the backbone region”)
• nkaj qaum (“the backbone”)
• nraub qaum (“the back, the region of the back between the shoulders and above the waist”)
• qaum taw (“the top of the foot”)
• qaum tes (“the back of the hand”)
• qaum tsev (“at the back of the house”)

 

References

• Heimbach, Ernest E. (1979) White Hmong — English Dictionary‎^[1], SEAP Publications, →ISBN, page 259.