The Distribution of Lexical Variants Denoting “Mother” in Northern Vietnamese Dialects

Abstract

This article investigates the lexical variants denoting “mother” in the Northern Vietnamese dialect area, drawing on survey data collected across multiple provinces and employing ArcGIS to visualize the spatial distribution of each variant. The results indicate a high level of lexical variation, comprising widely used forms such as mẹ, u, and bu, as well as historically and socially marked variants including bầm/ầm, đẻ, and mợ. Each variant exhibits a distinct geographical distribution: mẹ is prevalent throughout the entire region; u is concentrated in coastal lowland areas; bu is commonly found in Hải Phòng; bầm is characteristic of midland and mountainous zones; whereas đẻ and mợ appear sporadically in specific localities. The application of ArcGIS enables clearer delineation of the boundaries and transitional zones among these variants, thereby contributing to a more precise understanding of the internal structure of the Northern dialect and offering implications for the development of a modern linguistic atlas of Vietnamese dialects.