Yi syllable nzip

It writes one spoken syllable in the Liangshan Yi script.

“Nzip” is the standard Latin-letter label for the reading. Its final p marks a low-falling tone—a pitch that drops as the syllable is spoken.

For input, use a Unicode hexadecimal method: in Microsoft Word, type A2F0 and press Alt+X; in Linux/GTK, press Ctrl+Shift+U, type a2f0, and press Enter.

Where did Yi writing come from?

It grew through regional traditions; the Liangshan form was standardized later.

The earliest evidence is contested: some proposed Yi inscriptions date to the Western Han period and Shu Han period, while a bell inscription from the fifteenth century is described as the oldest reliably dated example.

In traditional Yi communities, bimo—ritual specialists—passed manuscripts down for religious, healing, historical, and other work. Cuan wen (“Cuan writing”) is a historical label for inscriptions considered possible predecessors. Yi signs have a structure distinct from Chinese characters. The Liangshan script was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 for literacy, daily use, textbooks, literature, and newspapers.