Yi syllable ka

It writes the syllable romanized as “ka” in standardized Liangshan Yi.

Here, “ka” is the standard’s Latin-letter transcription for one spoken syllable, not an English word. The standard is for Liangshan Yi, also called Nuosu, and does not represent every Yi variety.

Older Yi writing, historically called Cuan or Wei, varied across Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan: its local meaning-based signs were passed down by village ritual specialists called bimo for religious, magical, medical, historical, astrological and genealogical records. One origin tradition credits Aki with devising this older script during the Tang dynasty (618–907), but its earliest surviving inscription is on a bronze bell dated 1485. A Latin-letter literacy scheme appeared in 1956; the standardized syllabary was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. This older script does not appear to derive from Han Chinese characters.

How do I type ꈁ?

Use the Windows Yi IME and select ꈁ from its candidates.

On Windows, add Yi as an input language and type ka, the syllable’s Latin-letter transcription. Microsoft’s Yi IME guide, last updated 2024-06-20, says Enter or Space accepts the first suggestion; choose ꈁ from its candidate list.

Is ꈁ a Chinese character?

No: it belongs to Yi syllabic writing, not Han Chinese writing.

Yi is a language with several varieties and writing traditions in China; this character belongs to the Liangshan standard. Older regional Yi writing varied, so its standardized “ka” reading does not automatically apply to every historical form.