Khitan small-script character 18CCC

It is one sign for the whole number thirty. Other words use groups of signs that represent sounds.

What does the dot on this numeral mean?

It is thought to mark masculine gender. Some Khitan number signs have dotted and plain forms; plain forms may be feminine or gender-neutral.

When was Khitan small script made?

Traditional histories date its creation around 925. Khitan prince Yelü Diela is credited with creating it to write Khitan. Some accounts link its design to Uyghur script, though the two look quite different. A 2026 study argues systematization came later, citing the oldest securely dated small-script epitaph (1051).

Chinese characters shaped Khitan writing; neighboring Jurchen people modeled their scripts on it. The Jin court ended official Khitan-script use in 1191.