Yi Syllable Hxex

It writes one Nuosu Yi syllable.

In the standard Liangshan Yi romanization, hx gives the consonant and e the vowel; the final x marks secondary-high, or mid-high, tone. That x is a pitch cue, not another consonant.

The same syllable can serve different words. Surrounding Yi syllables and the sentence tell readers which word is meant.

Where did Yi writing come from?

Yi writing grew through many local traditions.

Older Yi writing existed in regional forms historically called Cuan or Wei. Bimo, Yi ritual specialists who preserved and interpreted texts, passed writing down within local traditions. Manuscripts covered scripture, ritual, medicine, legends, history, genealogy, and astrology.

Yi text survives in inscriptions on pottery, stone, and bronze; the earliest surviving dated example is a bronze-bell inscription from 1485. Paper texts survive from at least the late Ming dynasty, a period in Chinese history.

In 1974, work produced a syllabary for Liangshan Yi, also called Nuosu; it was officially promulgated in 1980. Each sign represents a syllable. The standard entered textbooks, literature, newspapers, and computer input while other regional writing traditions continued.