中国的边疆民族,以西南民族最为复杂。所谓西南民族,系指云南、贵州、四川、湖南、广西广东、诸省的非汉民族而言。上述各省之中,尤以云南最为复杂。如续云南通志稿所载,竟达一百二十七种之多。实则其中同种而异名,异地而殊号的不计其数。英人戴维斯氏曾把云南的民族,除汉人及汉化的蒙回族外,根据语言分为三大类·丁文江氏参照戴维斯的意见,就各种语言的性质分为四类;民族的分类根据语言而分,有时末尽可靠。所以作者的分类,虽亦以语言为主,但参照地理、历史、文化、体质各方面的关系,亦分云南民族为三大类,同时修正戴丁二氏之说。

The numerous tribes of Yunnan had not been scientifically classified until Major Davies made an attempt to classify them by thier languages. Taking into consideration liguistic differences, he admitted three principal familes, exclusive of the Chinese, while V. K. Ting, the late Secretary-general of Academia Sinica, proposed four principal familes. The author thinks that it is not rel able enough to class peoples or tribes baseed only on linguistic differences.