Yi syllable Hlu

In Nuosu Yi, a dictionary glosses ꆭ’s syllable as the verb “stir-fry.”

The spelling hlu is the standard romanization used to identify this syllable in dictionaries and enter it with a Yi input method. Nuosu is the Liangshan variety of Yi; its standardized script writes spoken syllables one sign at a time.

Which Yi variety uses ꆭ?

It belongs to the standardized Liangshan variety of Yi, also called Nuosu.

Traditional Yi writing was not one uniform script: local traditions differed in their signs, repertoires, and writing directions. Village priests passed down manuscripts used for religious and magical rites, healing, and family histories. The standardized Liangshan form was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 to improve literacy, using older Yi writing traditions as its base. It was designed for Liangshan speech, not as one writing system for every Yi variety. A bronze-bell inscription dated 1485 is the earliest surviving example of Yi writing; it dates the wider tradition, not ꆭ’s exact form.

How do I type ꆭ?

Use Yi input to enter the syllable spelling, then select ꆭ.

Microsoft’s Windows guide to Yi input, last updated 2024-06-20, describes typing syllable spellings with ordinary Latin keyboard keys and selecting the matching character from the candidate list. For this character, enter hlu.