Yi Syllable Cur

It writes the Yi syllable romanized as “cur.” The label “cur” is a Latin-letter spelling for one syllable in standardized Liangshan Yi, the writing system used for the Nuosu variety of Yi. It is not an English translation. The final r belongs to the syllable spelling. In this system, endings t, p, and x mark tones; no ending marks midlevel tone.

Where did the Yi script come from?

It grew from local writing traditions before modern standardization. Nuosu tradition credits Aki with creating the script during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The earliest surviving example generally cited is an inscription on a bronze bell from 1485; claims for older objects remain disputed.

Earlier Yi writing varied by locality and appears in ritual, magical, medical, family-history, historical, and poetic texts, including work by bimo, local ritual specialists. A syllabary—a writing system with one sign per syllable—was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 for Liangshan Yi. It standardizes that variety, not every Yi language.

How do I type ꋉ?

Use a Yi keyboard or input method. As of 2026, SIL lists a Nuosu keyboard for standardized Yi syllables, but not separate Yi radical characters.

If ꋉ displays as a square, the active font lacks Yi coverage. As of 2026, SIL's Nuosu font package includes the standardized Yi syllables; use a Yi-capable font to display the character.