Vietnamese

Proper noun

Mẹo

1. (in Laos) Miao or Hmong, an Asian ethnic group whose homeland is in the mountainous regions around Guizhou, southern China, and northern Vietnam and Laos.

Synonyms

• H'Mông; Hơ Mông
• Mông
• Mèo

Etymology 2

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 卯 (“”; SV: Mão); some dictionaries (such as Thiều Chửu's) consider it as Sino-Vietnamese, but the nặng tone in Mẹo is unlikely to be developed from the Middle Chinese rising tone and eo is unlikely to be a Sino-Vietnamese rhyme, compared to the likely tone and rhyme in Mão; see also Tí, Thìn, Mùi

Proper noun

Mẹo

1. (rare) the fourth Earthly Branch represented by the Cat in Vietnam and by the Rabbit in China

Synonyms

• Mão