Vai Syllable Vi

ꔲ represents the Vai syllable conventionally written “vi.” Those Latin letters guide the reading; they do not translate a whole Vai word, whose meaning comes from the surrounding text.

The history of the Vai script begins around 1833 in coastal Liberia, where it was developed chiefly by Momolu Duwalu Bukele with other Vai speakers. Its earliest known sample is a manuscript page dated 1834, preserved at Harvard. The system was designed for Vai and used for correspondence, record-keeping, and local literacy.

A standard Vai syllabary was published in 1962. The script helped inspire later locally developed writing systems in West Africa. Proposed influence from Latin, Arabic, or Cherokee remains debated; visual resemblance alone does not prove descent.

How do I type ꔲ?

Use a Vai transliteration keyboard. One documented layout maps v+i to ꔲ.

A transliteration layout turns Latin keystrokes into Vai signs as you type. A plain text box without Vai input support leaves the keystrokes as Latin letters.

Why does ꔲ show as a square?

The font may not include Vai characters.

If the display lacks a font that covers Vai, the character may appear as a square or question mark. That placeholder is a font limitation, not a different Vai sign.