Yi syllable but

This sign writes a Nuosu syllable; but is not the English conjunction. In Liangshan Yi (Nuosu), but is the Yi Pinyin spelling for this syllable. Its final t marks high tone rather than a consonant. The syllable's meaning depends on the Nuosu word and sentence where it appears.

Before standardization, local Yi writing traditions varied, and bimo—ritual specialists—used manuscripts for religious, magical, and medical work. An early securely dated example is a Guizhou bell from the 15th century. The standardized Liangshan system was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 to support literacy and public writing. It drew on regional forms, but differs from much older Yi writing: this standard uses signs for syllables, while much of the older repertoire uses signs for ideas or words. It is for Liangshan Yi, not every Yi variety.