Nüshu character thang44

𛇔 is a Nüshu character read thang44, a syllable from Jiangyong speech in Hunan, China. It can stand for several words that sound alike, so context supplies the intended meaning. Women used the script for songs, letters, autobiographies, and wedding booklets.

Text symbol

What 𛇔 means

It marks a spoken Jiangyong syllable. In “thang44,” the final digits show its pitch pattern; they are not another sound. A Nüshu sign can represent words that sound alike, so surrounding text gives the intended word.

Nüshu adapted Chinese forms for Jiangyong speech

Nüshu adapted Chinese characters for Jiangyong speech; many users could not read Chinese characters. In traditional Jiangyong use, women sang stories, sent letters to sworn sisters (friends pledged as family), and gave brides third-day books three days after marriage. The earliest local written mention dates to 1931; the dating of a proposed 1850s Nüshu coin is contested. Since 2003, Jiangyong workshops have taught the script publicly.

Part of the collection

𛅰

Nüshu Script (Women's Writing)

Who writes 𛇔

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Questions people ask

Why does 𛇔 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.