Khitan Small Script Character 18BD6

It identifies the character, not its reading in Khitan.

Khitan Small Script has whole-word signs and sound signs. Sound signs often combine to spell one word. Traditional text uses vertical columns, though horizontal layouts are also attested; block shaping needs layout support, so a linear font may show the pieces separately.

Creation is traditionally dated to about 925 CE, but a 2026 study questions whether the script was established then: the earliest securely dated survivor is a 1051 tomb inscription. The study suggests it was systematized later and that added sound signs served administrative needs. Texts span the Liao (907–1125 CE), Qara Khitai (1124–1218 CE), and Jin (1115–1234 CE) periods. Khitan writing adapted parts and design patterns from Chinese characters. The script is also said to have drawn inspiration from Uyghur writing, although the two have few similarities. The neighboring Jurchen people adapted Khitan models for their writing.