Yi syllable Jyx

ꏷ records a spoken syllable in Liangshan Yi. The Latin-letter spelling system for standardized Liangshan Yi is Yi Pinyin; this syllable is written jyx. A dictionary transcription, [ʨɿ³⁴], represents a forward, ch-like start followed by a high vowel formed near the middle of the mouth; the pitch rises from mid to high.

The Yi word or sentence around it supplies the meaning. The spelling jyx records the sound, not a word-for-word translation.

Did Yi writing begin in 1485?

No; 1485 marks the earliest surviving written Yi example recorded in Unicode. The script developed through regional traditions. Some stone and bronze objects have been interpreted as early Yi writing, but their dates and interpretation remain disputed.

Traditional Yi writing was often kept and passed on by bimo, Yi ritual specialists. Their texts covered rites, healing, and family genealogies, and travelled through villages; local forms could be hard for readers from another area to read.

Some sources call older Yi writing Cuan or Wei. The standardized Liangshan Yi form was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 to support literacy and teaching. It descends from older Yi writing, but it is not a universal spelling system for every Yi dialect.

How do I type ꏷ?

On Windows, type jyx in the Yi IME and select ꏷ. Add Yi under Language & region and switch to the Yi keyboard first. The final x marks a tone form: jy, jyx, and jyp are different forms, so changing the ending changes what you enter.