What 𖺈 means
It is Medefaidrin’s digit for eight.
Medefaidrin uses a base-20 numeral system: place values rise by twenties. The character stands alone for eight or contributes eight according to its place in a longer numeral.
Why was Medefaidrin created?
It was made for an Ibibio Christian church community.
The Obɛri Ɔkaimɛ, a Christian church community among Ibibio speakers in southeastern Nigeria, developed Medefaidrin for worship and teaching. Its account says the language was revealed to church founder Michael Ukpɔn in 1927; another account dates its impact to 1932. The project is associated with Ukpɔn and Akpan Udɔfia.
The language was finalized by 1936, and church members established a school. Medefaidrin also served in letters, contracts, numbered lists, and community records. British colonial authorities closed the school, but church use continued, especially prayer and scripture meditation.
Why does 𖺈 show as a box?
The character may be present even when the font cannot draw it.
An app can preserve 𖺈 while a font without Medefaidrin coverage displays a blank square or fallback box. A font that supports Medefaidrin is needed to show its shape.
It marks a Medefaidrin number, preserving the script-specific form of eight.
Replacing it with Latin 8 loses the Medefaidrin form.
Don't confuse it with
4Questions people ask
1Why does 𖺈 show as a box on some devices?
Because that device's fonts have no glyph for it. The character is still correct and still copies correctly — the box is a missing glyph, not a broken character.
How to type 𖺈
𖺈\16E88Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.