Yi syllable lyx

ꇕ represents one Yi syllable; it is not a complete word translation.

In the Liangshan (Nuosu) reading system, lyx is the romanized spelling for its sound. The final x marks a mid-high tone, a pitch pattern that helps distinguish syllables. The spelling tells you how to read the character, not what English word it translates to.

A Yi syllable can represent different words depending on its place in a word or sentence. Read ꇕ in the surrounding Yi text to learn the intended word.

How did the Liangshan Yi script become standardized?

The modern standard grew from a longer, regional writing tradition.

Some scholars consider inscriptions associated with Yi writing on pottery, stone, bronze and bone to be more than a thousand years old; paper Yi texts survive from at least the late Ming period. The exact beginnings remain debated. Older manuscripts were copied and taught from teacher to student; bimo, Yi ritual specialists, used them for ritual, medical, magical and literary work.

In Liangshan, a standard was devised in 1974, tested in 1975 and officially promulgated in 1980. It supported textbooks, literature, newspapers and education in the Yi language. ꇕ belongs to this modern Liangshan branch of the broader Yi script tradition. Yi writing was used alongside Chinese, Tibetan, Burmese, Sanskrit and Dai writing while remaining its own script.