Khitan character 18C5E

It marks a proposed sound inside a Khitan word. Catalogues give “j” or “ji3”; these are scholarly readings, not English pronunciation guides.

Khitan writing drew on Chinese and Uyghur models

Traditional accounts credit scholar Yelü Diela with creating the script around 924 or 925 to write Khitan. Its forms drew on Chinese writing, its sound system on Uyghur writing. A study in 2026 re-examines that date; surviving inscriptions date from 1053. Jurchen rulers kept using Khitan script after the Liao dynasty fell and adapted its models for their own writing; official use ended in 1191.

Why can 𘱞 look sideways?

Font and layout affect its orientation. BabelStone version 16.000 (2024-08-28) offers linear, rotated, and upright layouts; some apps misplace vertical clusters.