Nüshu Character

𛆮 marks a Jiangyong syllable (one spoken sound unit) in Nüshu (“women’s writing”), from Hunan, China. Traditionally, women used it for songs, letters and wedding messages. Context selects which word that sound means.

Text symbol

What 𛆮 means

It records a sound, not one fixed translation.

A Nüshu reference list pairs 𛆮 with the Chinese character 称 and gives the Jiangyong reading tchie44. Several local words share that sound, so the surrounding phrase settles which word is meant.

Nüshu adapted Chinese characters to local speech when women had limited access to schooling. Jiangyong women historically recorded songs, exchanged letters with sworn sisters and gave brides booklets three days after marriage. A coin from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (a Chinese rebel state, 1851–64) is reported as the oldest artifact; a county survey described Nüshu on fans in 1931. China listed it as cultural heritage in 2006; its origins remained debated in 2010.

Part of the collection

𛅰

Nüshu Script (Women's Writing)

Who writes 𛆮

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Questions people ask

Why does 𛆮 show as a box on some devices?

Not every system ships a font for the Nushu block. Where none is installed, the character shows as an empty box; adding a font such as Noto fixes it. The character itself is still correct and copies correctly.