What 𘬒 means
“Character-18B12” is an index label, not a Khitan reading.
Khitan small script mixed word signs with phonograms (sound signs), often grouped into clusters. Its name does not give a Khitan reading. Text may run vertically or horizontally, in clusters or character by character.
Traditional histories date it to about 925, credit Khitan prince Yelü Diela and report Uyghur-script influence. The Liao empire used Khitan writing for official records and inscriptions. Khitan Large Script was a separate system for the same language. Small-script texts include letters, poetry, translations and epitaphs; use continued under the Jin dynasty after Liao fell. A 2026 study disputes early practical use: it identifies a 1051 stone epitaph as the earliest securely dated example and cites a Khitan letter unreadable to Korea’s Goryeo court in 1011. It argues systematization came under Liao emperor Shengzong.
Part of the collection
Who writes 𘬒
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Questions people ask
1Why does 𘬒 show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
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How to type or find 𘬒
- Search it as
- qidan · 契丹小字 · 18b12 · 𘬒
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
𘬒\18B12Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.