Yi thinkers and statesmen did not abandon traditional identities based on descent and locality, but began to recognize a larger pair of oppositional ethnic categories: Ne (Yi) and ?a (Han).

• 彝族政治家思想家没有放弃以氏族部落为基础的传统身份，但是他们认出来了两个总体性的民族种类，即 尼（彝）与 夏（汉）。