Remembered by More Than One Name: Transcription, Multiscriptualism, and Ethnic Heritage in the Case of the Dedule Clan Genealogy

Abstract

Ethnic minorities (non-Han peoples) in modern China have undergone many enforced changes, imposed by both state authorities and by self-motivated choice. Use of languages is one of the facets in their lives that have developed in different directions in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. While knowledge of spoken and written Chinese has become imperative for performing quotidian functions and communicating with members of ethnic groups other than their own, ethnic minority communities have also preserved aspects of their heritage languages in various ways. This article discusses how the Daur people (Dawo'erzu u 達斡爾族) have created historical records using multiple scripts. I concentrate on evidence from the genealogy of the Dedule clan, itself expressive of hybrid cultural and linguistic characteristics, and exemplifying the resilience of minority identities in a political and social environment that encourages the adoption of homogenized norms, including language use.