Yi syllable hiex

It represents one syllable; the surrounding Yi word supplies the meaning.

In Liangshan romanization, hiex is one syllable: a light h sound, the open e in “bed,” and a pitch rising from mid to high. The final x marks the pitch, not another consonant.

One Yi origin tradition credits Aki with creating the older script during China's Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). Surviving inscriptions are much later: the oldest known is on a bronze bell dated 1485. Older Yi manuscripts served religious, ritual, magical, medical, and genealogical purposes; bimo, Yi ritual specialists, transmitted them through village lineages.

How did the Liangshan Yi standard take shape?

It formalized one regional tradition for the Nuosu language.

The standardized script was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 for the Liangshan dialect of Nuosu (Northern Yi). It drew on one local tradition rather than unifying every Yi language or older regional script.

Older Yi writing varied in glyphs and direction, including right-to-left use in Liangshan. The standardized script generally runs left-to-right, with occasional top-to-bottom layout.

How do I type ꉯ?

Enter hiex in a Yi input method, then choose ꉯ.

A Yi input method converts Latin-letter spellings into Yi-character candidates. Enter hiex and select ꉯ; the exact keystrokes depend on the IME.

Fonts draw this text character. If a font lacks Yi coverage, it may show an empty box instead.