Soyombo vowel length mark

It makes the preceding vowel long.

To write a long vowel in Soyombo, put 𑩛 after the base letter or vowel sign: 𑩐𑩛 is long a, while 𑩐𑩑𑩛 is long i. Here a and i are Latin-letter transliterations of the vowel sounds; the line over ā or ī shows that the vowel is held longer. The mark adds length; the other letters tell you which vowel it is.

How did Soyombo come to be used?

Zanabazar developed the script in 1686 to write three languages.

Soyombo writes Mongolian, Sanskrit, and Tibetan, and appears mainly in Buddhist texts from Inner Asia.

Soyombo is the Mongolian rendering of the Sanskrit word ᭭वयंभु, “self-existing”; a tradition says Zanabazar saw the letterforms appear in the sky. The script draws on Indic models such as Lantsa, an Indic script, and Devanagari, and its syllable organization also connects with Tibetan writing. These are relationships of the script as a whole; 𑩛 still marks vowel length in each language.

How do I place it in a Soyombo syllable?

Put it after the base letter or vowel sign.

In a Unicode-aware editor, insert 𑩛 after the Soyombo letter or its vowel sign; it is a combining mark, not a separate syllable.

Soyombo fonts have different styles and may place combining signs differently. If 𑩛 appears detached or unshaped, use a font with Soyombo support.