Nguyen Hoang-Yen
in Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies (2025) 25 (2): 155–182
Special issue on “Vietnam in the Sinographic Cosmopolis” (John Phan and Ross King, eds.)
Abstract: This study delves into the multifaceted role of literary Sinitic in colonial Vietnam through a close reading of Kiều Oánh Mậu 喬塋懋 (1854–1912)’s controversial 1903 treatise, Supplementary Notes on Sexual Intercourse Between Men and Women (Nam nữ giao hợp phụ luận 男女交合附論). Amid late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries linguistic pluralism (literary Sinitic, Nôm, French, Quốc Ngữ), Vietnamese intellectuals strategically leveraged various scripts to navigate colonial rule and preserve cultural heritage. Nam nữ giao hợp phụ luận, with its audacious exploration of sexuality, offers a unique lens through which to examine the social functions of literary Sinitic. Combining textual and content analysis with theories of language change, cultural memory, and identity formation, this study explores how Kiều employed literary Sinitic. Beyond serving as a language of the elite, literary Sinitic enabled Kiều to articulate personal thoughts, transmit cultural values, engage in cross-border dialogue, and challenge colonial discourses. By illustrating the power of language in cultural resistance and identity formation against colonial domination, this study contributes to colonial studies, linguistics, and cultural studies. This research highlights the dynamic interplay between language, power, and culture in colonial Vietnam and offers valuable insights into the strategies employed by Vietnamese intellectuals to preserve their cultural heritage.
About the author: Nguyen Hoang-Yen was a HYI Visiting Scholar from 2020-21.