Yi Syllable Ndur

ꅧ is the Yi syllable ndur, glossed “shake out grain.” The gloss translates a Yi word; it is not a meaning you can read from the glyph’s outline. In standardized Liangshan romanization, t, x, and p mark tones (pitch patterns); an unmarked syllable has mid-level tone. The surrounding Yi text helps show which word is meant.

Some marks on pottery, stone, bronze, and bone are presented as early Yi writing, but their status is debated. A bronze bell dated 1485 is an early surviving example; surviving paper texts begin around 1500.

What does ꅧ mean in a message?

ꅧ is a Yi syllable; surrounding Yi text gives the word. If someone sends it alone, you can identify the writing system, but not the full word or their intended reply.

Traditional Yi writing carried religious, magical, medical, and genealogical texts through bimo lineages; bimo are Yi ritual specialists. Local traditions varied in glyph shape, character inventory, writing direction, and associated sounds.

The Liangshan standard was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It drew on older Northern Yi forms to standardize one Yi variety, rather than unifying every Yi tradition. “Cuan script” is a historical name for apparent predecessors of later Yi scripts; Naxi and Shui are neighboring writing traditions, and resemblance alone does not establish ancestry.

How do I type ꅧ?

Use a Yi input method and choose the matching syllable.

On Windows, Microsoft’s Yi input method, in documentation last updated 2024-06-20, accepts the syllable’s sounds typed with ordinary keyboard keys and offers Yi character suggestions; Enter or Space selects one. Enter the sounds for ndur, then choose ꅧ from the list.

The installed font draws this text character, so its outline can vary by font. If it looks unfamiliar, check the font before treating it as a different Yi character.