Nüshu Syllable Sign

𛈫 writes a spoken syllable in Nüshu, the local women’s script of Jiangyong, Hunan, China. Its word sense comes from context.

Text symbol

What 𛈫 means

It writes a spoken syllable, not a whole message.

One Nüshu list gives the reading for 𛈫 as “tchyu21”; 21 marks tone (voice pitch). It pairs the sign with Chinese 处, meaning “place” or “handle,” depending on pronunciation and context.

How did Nüshu start?

Historically, Nüshu adapted Chinese character forms to write Jiangyong speech. Women with little schooling in Chinese characters used it for songs, life stories, letters between women pledged as sisters, and poem books given to brides three days after marriage.

The oldest known artifact is a coin from China’s Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, a rebel state, minted in 1851–1864; its inscription calls women one family. A written account dates to 1933. By 2025, authorities were working to preserve and revive Nüshu.

Part of the collection

𛅰

Nüshu Script (Women's Writing)

Who writes 𛈫

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Questions people ask

Why does 𛈫 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.