Manichaean dot within dot

It marks a smaller break in Manichaean text. In prose, it separates a smaller unit; in verse, it marks the end of a half-verse. It is not a word separator.

Manichaean punctuation uses marks at different textual levels. A repeated 𐫳𐫳 can mark a larger division. Manuscripts could show 𐫳 as a black dot inside a red circle. In digital text, character data stores the sign but not the manuscript's ink color, so fonts may render it differently.

How did this punctuation reach Old Uyghur writing?

It reached Old Uyghur texts through translation work in Turfan. The Manichaean script developed from Aramaic-related forms and appears in Central Asian manuscripts. During the 8th century, a translation movement in Turfan carried related punctuation conventions into Old Uyghur writing.