Ethiopic syllable Pee

It is the e-vowel syllable in the Ethiopic p series. ፔ represents a consonant-and-vowel unit, not a consonant by itself. It helps spell words in languages such as Amharic and Tigrinya; its meaning comes from the whole word.

How did the Ethiopic script develop?

It developed from a consonant script into a vowel-marking system. The earliest writing attested in Ethiopia and Eritrea includes pseudo-Sabaean inscriptions from the 8th/7th centuries BCE. An Ethiopian abjad—a script that primarily writes consonants—was used for Ge'ez between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE. Around the 4th century, it developed into an abugida, where changes to each consonant sign mark its vowel.

The first Ethiopic system was used to write Ge'ez, which remained in liturgical use. Ethiopic is historically connected to Old South Arabian writing, a consonant script adapted in the Horn of Africa. The script was later used for languages including Amharic and Tigrinya. ፔ is one vowel-marked form in its p series.

How do I type ፔ?

Use an Ethiopic keyboard layout. Keyboard mappings vary by layout. In SIL Ethiopic keyboard 2.0, type p then e to enter ፔ. If the character appears as a box, the selected font or app may lack Ethiopic support; the text can still be correct.