Yi syllable cha

It represents a mid-level Nuosu Yi syllable, roughly pronounced “cha.”

Yi Pinyin is the Latin-letter spelling system for Nuosu syllables. The plain spelling cha marks mid-level tone; final t, x, and p mark high, rising, and low-falling tones, as in the related forms below.

A 2022 Nuosu Yi word list records ꍣ in a word glossed “discuss; talk over.” That gloss belongs to the word, so read the whole Yi word or phrase for its meaning.

How did Yi writing change over time?

The Liangshan standard grew from older regional writing.

Some scholars identify the earliest evidence of Yi writing in marks on pottery, stone, bronze, and bone. A Guizhou bronze is associated with the Western Han period; the earliest paper texts date to around 1500.

Traditional manuscripts were hand-copied by bimo, Yi ritual specialists, for ceremonies, genealogies, and epics. The Liangshan Standard Yi Script was developed from Northern Yi forms and popularized between the 1950s and early 1980s. Its standardized forms helped extend reading beyond bimo and entered documents, newspapers, and books. Other Yi traditions differ in their characters and writing practices.