Pollard script: Difference between revisions

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The '''Pollard script''', also known as '''Pollard Miao''' ({{Lang-zh|c=柏格理苗文|p=Bó Gélǐ Miáo-wén}}) or '''Miao''', is an [[abugida]] loosely based on the Latin alphabet and invented by [[Methodism|Methodist]] [[missionary]] [[Sam Pollard (missionary)|Sam Pollard]]. Pollard invented the script for use with [[A-Hmao language|A-Hmao]], one of several [[Miao languages]] spoken in [[southeast Asia]]. The script underwent a series of revisions until 1936, when a translation of the [[New Testament]] was published using it.

Pollard credited the basic idea of the script to the [[Cree syllabics]] designed by [[James Evans (linguist)|James Evans]] in 1838–1841: “While"While working out the problem, we remembered the case of the syllabics used by a Methodist missionary among the Indians of North America, and resolved to do as he had done.”" He also gave credit to a Chinese pastor: “Stephen"Stephen Lee assisted me very ably in this matter, and at last we arrived at a system.”"<ref>{{Citation |last=Pollard |first=Samuel |title=Story of the Miao |page=174 |year=1919 |publication-place=London |publisher=Henry Hooks}}</ref>

The introduction of Christian materials in the script that Pollard invented had a great impact among the [[Miao people]]. Part of the reason was that they had a legend about how their ancestors had possessed a script but lost it. According to the legend, the script would be brought back some day. When the script was introduced, many Miao came from far away to see and learn it.<ref name="enwall-nopage">Enwall 1994</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Tapp | first1 = N. | doi = 10.1017/S0022463400019858 | title = The Impact of Missionary Christianity Upon Marginalized Ethnic Minorities: The Case of the Hmong | journal = Journal of Southeast Asian Studies | volume = 20 | pages = 70–95 | year = 2011 | hdl = 1885/22258 | hdl-access = free }}. Republished in {{cite book |series=The Pacific World: Lands, Peoples and History of the Pacific, 1500–1900 |volume=17 |title=Religions and Missionaries around the Pacific, 1500–1900 |editor-last=Storch |editor-first=Tanya |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2006 |pages=289–314 |isbn=9780754606673 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rR0GbqNKDzAC&pg=PA296 |access-date=20 July 2013 }}</ref> Changing politics in [[China]] led to the use of several competing scripts, most of which were [[romanization]]s. The Pollard script remains popular among [[Hmong people]] in China, although Hmong outside China tend to use one of the alternative scripts. A revision of the script was completed in 1988, which remains in use.