Cherokee Small Letter Yo

In Cherokee, ᏺ represents the syllable “yo.” A syllabary is a writing system in which each sign stands for a syllable; readers combine signs to form words.

The syllable predates this small-form glyph. Sequoyah developed the Cherokee syllabary between 1815–1821 to write Cherokee speech. The Cherokee Nation adopted it in 1825; by 1828, printing had adjusted some forms, and the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper carried Cherokee beside English. Cherokee writing moved from private communication into public news.

Ᏺ is the uppercase partner of the small form ᏺ. In Cherokee text that uses case, the form changes in size, not reading: both represent “yo.”