Yi Syllable Ddap

Between alternatives, it joins them as “or.” At question end, it can signal that the speaker expects a “yes.”

Yi writing evolved across regional traditions. A third-century stone has been identified as Yi, but that reading is disputed; the oldest reliably dated inscription is on a Guizhou bronze bell from the 15th century. Bimo, Yi ritual specialists, passed down manuscripts on ritual, medicine, history, and astrology. The Liangshan standard, devised in 1974 and approved in 1980, recast older local forms as a syllabary (one sign per spoken syllable) to promote literacy in the Liangshan dialect.