Yi syllable ggu

It is the Nuosu syllable used for “nine.” Nuosu, also called Liangshan Yi, is a Yi language. Yi Pinyin writes this syllable as ggu; pronounce it roughly with a hard “g” followed by “u,” keeping the pitch level.

In the standardized Nuosu script, each character represents one syllable. ꈬ can sit inside a word or number phrase, so its dictionary sense “nine” does not make every phrase containing it translate as a standalone number.

Some Guizhou objects have been proposed as evidence of Yi writing as far back as the Western Han, though that proposed link is uncertain. Dated inscriptions and manuscripts document regional Yi writing by the Ming period. Neither date establishes when this exact modern glyph first appeared.

Why was Liangshan Yi standardized?

To make Liangshan Yi more consistent to teach and read.

Before standardization, bimo—Yi ritual specialists—were among the main keepers of written traditions. Their texts covered religious and magical practice, healing, genealogies, scripture, legends, history, medicine, and astrology; regional graphs and readings varied.

The standardized Liangshan script was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It selected older Liangshan forms for a syllabary, a system where each character represents a syllable. Traditional regional Yi scripts are related, but a manuscript may use different graphs or readings from standardized Nuosu.

How do I type ꈬ with Yi Pinyin?

Enter ggu in a Yi input method.

Yi Pinyin is the romanized spelling system for Nuosu syllables. Type ggu in an input method that supports Yi, then select ꈬ from its candidates. Final t, x, and p mark other tones; no ending letter marks this syllable’s mid-level tone.