Abstract: This essay, through investigating on the lexicology of Mosuo people, probed into the development of the concept of human beings. Mosuo people carried out matriarchal society until 1970's, not having its own written lan- guage. The author selected a lot of common Han words from Chinese textbooks used in primary schools, then discussed these words with local intellectuals who are the authorities on both Mosuo and Han languages. They ascertained whether these words have corresponding words in Mosuo language. The conclusion was based on agreement. The results showed that Mosuo language had relatively limitted vocabulary, and its generalization and specialization are not high. The author considered that the development of concept of Mosuo lexicology can be taken as evidence for the early development of human concept.

Key words: Mosuo people, vocabulary, concept