What 𘰄 means
It is a Khitan character, not an English gloss.
Khitan writing used signs for words and signs for sounds. The script is only partly deciphered, so context helps show a glyph's role.
How did Khitan writing develop?
Tradition credits Yelü Diela with creating it about 925, inspired by Central Asian Uyghur writing. A 2026 study argues for later spread under Liao ruler Shengzong, citing a 1011 letter unread at Korea's Goryeo court.
Liao rulers used Khitan scripts officially and in literature; tomb inscriptions are a major source. Chinese characters shaped them; Jurchen scripts later adapted Khitan models. Jurchens kept Khitan writing under Jin rule until 1191. Rediscovered inscriptions revived study.
Part of the collection
Who writes 𘰄
Loading…
Questions people ask
1Does a horizontal line preserve Khitan layout?
No. Traditional Khitan text ran in vertical columns, read right to left. A horizontal line loses that layout; word clusters need special rendering support.
More like this
8
How to type or find 𘰄
- Search it as
- khitan · kitai · khitan writing
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
𘰄\18C04Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.