Lisu Letter I

It is a Lisu vowel letter used in written syllables.

The Fraser script, also called Old Lisu, is an alphabet used to write the Lisu language. A Lipo spelling system appeared in print in 1912. From 1914–1916, Ba Thaw, James Fraser and George Geis developed the Fraser system; its settled letter set appeared in publications from 1921 and in a primer in 1922. It was a practical way to write Lisu, including for Christian teaching and texts.

Historically, Fraser writing was strongly associated with Christian Lisu communities outside China. In China, government publications used New Lisu from 1959, a system modeled on pinyin, the Latin-letter spelling of Mandarin Chinese. Fraser returned to official and primary-school work in 1983, and Chinese authorities recognized it in 1992. Some Fraser letters use Latin shapes, with a few turned around. Its marks for syllable tone (pitch) and its ways of writing vowels also reflect Burmese and Karen scripts.

Someone sent me ꓲ—what should I read?

By itself, it is one letter, not enough to identify a word.

A lone ꓲ tells you that the message contains a Lisu letter, but not which word the sender intends. The surrounding Lisu text can supply that context.

Is ꓲ a capital I?

No. ꓲ and Latin I are separate characters.

The Fraser alphabet uses Latin-shaped and rotated letters; the resemblance fits that broader design history. ꓲ still belongs to Lisu writing, and its similar outline does not make it an English letter.

Use ꓲ in Fraser or Lisu spelling and Latin I in an English word.