<p>孃 usually is used by people who live in southwest China, to refer women who are in the middle age. People in southwest China use it to call their older female relatives, or female strangers who seemed like in the middle age.</p>

<p>娘 means mom, but it usually used by people who live in North China. In South China, people call their mom as 妈妈</p>

<p>I'm a Chinese, and these are my experiences in using Chinese. Hope it helps.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-16T01:40:26.367Z
2020-01-16T01:40:26.367Z
Nicole Shan
<p>In MSM 娘 and 孃 are usually considered one and the same, where 孃 is Traditional and 娘 is simplified. These two characters can practically be used interchangeably.  In <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Mandarin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Southwestern Mandarin</a>, however, a split has been maintained.</p>

<p>It should be a little something like this:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>娘 = 阳平 = mom</p></li>
<li><p>嬢 = 阴平 = woman</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I'm not sure if this a special feature of SWM or a remnant of something else. Do other topolects do this? Is there a reason for this split?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-15T07:30:11.217Z
I'm not sure "why" can be answered. That's kind of like [asking "why" the word *blank* is differentiated from the word *bleach*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/b%CA%B0ley%C7%B5-).
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-15T07:31:37.447Z
I'm thinking that there might be some reason: like how 发 and 发 split to first tone and forth tone in MSM but didn't in other topolects.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-15T07:33:25.493Z
You mean, to distinguish between 髮 and 發? Just like how SW Mandarin wants to distinguish between "mom" and "woman"?
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-15T07:36:38.963Z
Right. I'm assuming there may be a reason for it.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-15T16:30:29.223Z
[This article](http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ENSE20050100F.htm) might be relevant.
Michaelyus
<topolect>
What topolects distingish between 娘 and 孃? Why?
# What topolects distingish between 娘 and 孃? Why?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-01-15)

In MSM 娘 and 孃 are usually considered one and the same, where 孃 is Traditional and 娘 is simplified. These two characters can practically be used interchangeably. In [Southwestern Mandarin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Mandarin), however, a split has been maintained.

It should be a little something like this:

* 娘 = 阳平 = mom
* 嬢 = 阴平 = woman

I'm not sure if this a special feature of SWM or a remnant of something else. Do other topolects do this? Is there a reason for this split?

**Tags:** topolect

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not sure "why" can be answered. That's kind of like [asking "why" the word *blank* is differentiated from the word *bleach*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/b%CA%B0ley%C7%B5-).  
> **username_0**: I'm thinking that there might be some reason: like how 发 and 发 split to first tone and forth tone in MSM but didn't in other topolects.  
> **username_1**: You mean, to distinguish between 髮 and 發? Just like how SW Mandarin wants to distinguish between "mom" and "woman"?  
> **username_0**: Right. I'm assuming there may be a reason for it.  
> **username_2**: [This article](http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ENSE20050100F.htm) might be relevant.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-01-16. Score: 1

孃 usually is used by people who live in southwest China, to refer women who are in the middle age. People in southwest China use it to call their older female relatives, or female strangers who seemed like in the middle age.

娘 means mom, but it usually used by people who live in North China. In South China, people call their mom as 妈妈

I'm a Chinese, and these are my experiences in using Chinese. Hope it helps.


---

