Vai syllable dhha

It represents one short syllable in a Vai word.

A syllabary is a set of signs for spoken syllables; Vai also has signs for vowels on their own. A longer Vai syllable can take a second sign or the separate lengthener ꘌ.

Why was the Vai script created?

Vai speakers developed it to write their own language.

The script took shape in Jondu, Liberia, around 1832–1833. Momolu Duwalu Bukele is named as its principal developer, working with other Vai speakers. The earliest known sample is a one-page manuscript at Harvard’s Houghton Library, written by Fan Dawo Kelondo in 1834 at missionary John Leighton Wilson’s request.

Early literacy spread through Vai-run schools and uses such as letters and record-keeping. The oldest Vai texts also include logograms—signs for words or meaningful syllables—alongside syllable signs; the standard syllabary was published in 1962. Later uses include newspapers, tombstones, and traditional rituals.

An account recorded in 1911 said a spirit gave Bukele the Vai “book,” lending the script spiritual standing. The script developed in a region where Arabic and Latin writing were known; a proposed connection to Cherokee writing remains conjectural.

How do I type ꕝ?

Use Unicode hexadecimal input for ꕝ.

The input sequence varies by system; the typing options give methods for Windows, macOS, and Linux.