Luo Yue (or L Việt in Vietn mese) is a widely used ethnonym both in Chinese and Vietnamese scientific literature. By the end of the 20th century, notwithstanding the thorough study of Luo Yue history, mythology, linguistics and culture, the origin of the Luo Yue people is still debated. In order to solve this problem, we need to update or upgrade our old theories and methodologies in light of rapidly developing sciences. My proposed research plan will consider the Luo Yue ethnonym from a double perspective: as an exonym that Han Chinese used to refer to a community in southern China more than two thousand years ago and as an autonym of the Viet people since independence in the last thousand years. Luo Yue as an exonym is to be looked for in a large area in historical China and Vietnam while Luo Yue as an autonym is to be considered as a result of the process of nationalization and symbolization of the original medieval Viet people. In this double perspective, contradistincting the two ethnonyms and at the same time considering them in their interdependence, my research will try to throw new light on the meaning of the Luo Yue relying on new theories of James Scott (Zomia) and Anthony Smith (ethnosymbolism) in order to understand the ethnicity of the Viet people. Furthermore, I would like to give an overview of the Luo Yue from the molecular anthropology in this research.
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Luo Yue (or L Việt in Vietn mese) is a widely used ethnonym both in Chinese and Vietnamese scientific literature. By the end of the 20th century, notwithstanding the thorough study of Luo Yue history, mythology, linguistics and culture, the origin of the Luo Yue people is still debated. In order to solve this problem, we need to update or upgrade our old theories and methodologies in light of rapidly developing sciences. My proposed research plan will consider the Luo Yue ethnonym from a double perspective: as an exonym that Han Chinese used to refer to a community in southern China more than two thousand years ago and as an autonym of the Viet people since independence in the last thousand years. Luo Yue as an exonym is to be looked for in a large area in historical China and Vietnam while Luo Yue as an autonym is to be considered as a result of the process of nationalization and symbolization of the original medieval Viet people. In this double perspective, contradistincting the two ethnonyms and at the same time considering them in their interdependence, my research will try to throw new light on the meaning of the Luo Yue relying on new theories of James Scott (Zomia) and Anthony Smith (ethnosymbolism) in order to understand the ethnicity of the Viet people. Furthermore, I would like to give an overview of the Luo Yue from the molecular anthropology in this research.
