Yi Syllable Gep

In Nuosu, ꇱ is a syllable sign. Its conventional Latin transcription is “gep”; each character in this syllabic script writes a spoken syllable.

The Yi script has older regional forms: the earliest secure surviving evidence is an inscription on a bronze bell dated 1485; claims of an earlier origin remain disputed. Traditional regional forms were used by bimo, ritual specialists, for funerals, spells, divination, medicine, and genealogies. In 1974, a Liangshan standard based on older Northern Yi forms was established for Nuosu. It later entered schools and appeared in official writing, newspapers, and literature. This standard represents Nuosu, not every Yi variety.