Yi syllable bux

It names one Liangshan Yi syllable, not a whole word.

In this standardized Yi syllabary—a writing system whose signs represent syllables—ꀭ stands for one possible Liangshan Yi syllable. The romanized label “bux” combines its sound and tone; the final x marks its secondary-high pitch.

A word's meaning comes from the syllable in context. On its own, ꀭ cannot be translated as a complete message.

Why was Yi writing standardized?

It made Liangshan Yi writing consistent for literacy and publication.

A bronze-bell inscription dated 1485 is a cautious early anchor; claims for older Yi artifacts remain debated. Before standardization, local Yi traditions used variable forms, some ideographic—linked to ideas rather than one fixed syllable—in religious, magical, medical, and genealogical writing passed on by ritual specialists.

The modern Liangshan standard was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It selected older Liangshan forms to build a consistent syllabary. It covers Liangshan/Nuosu Yi, not every Yi variety; other traditions may use different forms and sound values.