客家「買水」禮俗，歷來鑽研客家學之學者，咸以「買水」為中原傳統古禮或受壯族影響所致，判若天淵之說，各執一端，故思於載籍考斠，爬羅董理，期能探賾客家「買水」禮俗之流轉，彰顯「買水」禮俗相因相革之迹。 客家先民自中原南遷，遂以客家「買水」禮俗為中原傳統古禮，唯不見於禮經，傳統古禮之說，恐有待斟酌。唐宋之際，客家先民、畬族、壯族等族群分布於閩贛粵地區，族群錯居雜處，文化融通合成為必然之勢，畬族、壯族均有「買水」禮俗，且客家、畬族之關係密切，如因《桂海虞衡志》載西原蠻「買水」，遂擯斥畬族為客家「買水」禮俗之源頭，恐失之周延，毋寧將閩贛粵地區少數民族之「買水」禮俗，視為客家「買水」禮俗之源頭。 「買水」不見於禮經，雖先王之未有，然禮可以義起；容或非古，未嘗悖離禮義，則客家「買水」不可率爾忽之也。

There is no solid conclusion on whether Hakkanien etiquette of "Mai-Suei" (買水) was adopted from Chinese tradition or influenced by local Zhuang (壯) population. The purpose of this study was to analyze the etiquette and to trace the evolution and transformation of the Hakkanien etiquette of "Mai-Suei". Since Hakka predecessors migrated from central China to southern area, the etiquette of "Mai-Suei" was supposed to adopt from Chinese tradition. However, the etiquette is not described in Chinese classics. The theory of Chinese originality of the etiquette is questionable. During Tang and Sung dynasties, Hakka predecessors colonized and distributed within Zhuang and She (畲) populations in southern China. The cultural interactions among Hakka, Zhuang and She populations can be supposed reasonably. Because both Zhuang and She populations have the etiquette of "Mai-Suei", and Hakka has a close relationship with She, Hakkanien etiquette of "Mai-Suei" was preferably adopted from the minorities in southern China to adopt from Zhuang population specifically. "Mai-Suei" is not mentioned in Chinese classics and is not a traditional Chinese etiquette. However, the etiquette could evolve from a culture. Although the Hakkanien etiquette of "Mai-Suei" is not Chinese original, it is not against the general rule of rites and plays an important role in Hakka population.