Ideographic Annotation Linking Mark

It links adjacent characters into one compound reading. Kanbun marks guide Japanese reading of Classical Chinese. The wider Japanese annotation tradition (kunten) reaches the end of the eighth century; an early-Heian corpus preserves an annotated Buddhist sutra from the first half of the ninth century.

Methods varied by school; mark placement could distinguish Chinese-derived from native Japanese readings. A 1912 report set a teaching standard. Reverse, numbered, top, and bottom marks order text; ㆐ links compounds. Some fonts show it full-size until layout scales and positions it.