Vai syllable yi

It writes the Vai syllable transcribed as “yi.” The Vai yi character contributes one syllable within a word; the word’s meaning comes from the full sequence of syllables.

The Vai script began among Vai speakers in Liberia in the early 1830s, with Momolu Duwalu Bukele as its principal promoter. The earliest surviving sample is a page Fan Dawo Kelondo wrote for John Leighton Wilson. Vai writing served everyday needs, including correspondence and records among merchants and traders.

A text known as the Book of Ndole, also called the Book of Rora, survives from around 1845 and preserves early forms that differ from standardized Vai charts. The Vai–Cherokee connection is disputed; Latin and Arabic literacy are also discussed as possible influences. Mende, Loma and Kpelle writing systems later drew on Vai’s syllabic design but used characters of their own. In Vai spelling, a short syllable takes one character; long syllables and diphthongs (two vowel sounds in one syllable) can take two.

How do I type ꕂ?

In the MediaWiki Vai transliteration layout documented in September 2026, type y then i. That sequence produces ꕂ. The layout turns Latin keystrokes into Vai text.

On Linux with GTK Unicode entry, press Ctrl+Shift+u, enter A542, then confirm with Enter or Space. On macOS, enable Unicode Hex Input, hold Option, and type A542. If you see a square or question mark, the active font lacks a Vai glyph; choose a font with Vai coverage.