Yi syllable hmup

It represents one Nuosu Yi syllable.

Nuosu Yi romanization writes it as hmup: final p marks the low-falling tone rather than a separate p sound. A phonetic transcription is m̥u21; m̥ means a voiceless nasal (an m made without vocal-cord vibration), and 21 marks the low-falling tone.

A 2022 native-speaker syllabary glosses this syllable as “burlap” or “rough hemp fabric.” In running text, neighboring syllables show which word it belongs to.

The modern standard grew from older Yi writing

A Yi-and-Chinese bronze bell dated 1485 is the earliest reliably dated monument cited for Yi writing; surviving paper and parchment texts date to around 1500. The script's earlier beginnings remain uncertain. Older Cuan/Wei and other regional traditions preserved local forms, often used by priests for ritual, medical, genealogical, and literary writing. Traditional Yi signs appear to have developed independently of Chinese Han characters.

To improve literacy, a Liangshan standard was designed in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It adapted selected regional forms into a phonetic syllabary for one Yi dialect, later used in education and publishing. Modern standard Yi writing runs horizontally; traditional styles may run vertically.