Nüshu character 𛈁

𛈁 writes a Jiangyong syllable, “sew35,” in Nüshu. Women used the script for songs, letters and wedding books; it later became part of heritage preservation.

Text symbol

What 𛈁 means

It marks a spoken syllable. Nüshu (“women’s writing”) gives it the Jiangyong reading “sew35”; sequences of signs form words.

How was Nüshu used?

It gave local women a way to write. Nüshu arose in Jiangyong County, Hunan, China, where many women could not write Chinese characters; its signs developed from those forms. The earliest known object is a Taiping Heavenly Kingdom coin (a Chinese rebel state, 1851–1864), with a message of women’s kinship. Women wrote songs and letters to sworn sisters, close friends who pledged sisterhood; brides received cloth-bound San Chao Shu (“third-day books”) of advice and good wishes three days after marriage. In 2018, authorities planned teaching materials and school courses to revive Nüshu as heritage.

Part of the collection

𛅰

Nüshu Script (Women's Writing)

Who writes 𛈁

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Questions people ask

Why does 𛈁 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.