Yi syllable rrox

It writes one spoken syllable in Liangshan Yi. rrox is its romanized lookup label. The character has no English translation by itself; read it as part of the Yi word or passage around it.

This is a standardized spelling for Liangshan Yi, also called Nuosu. Other Yi-speaking communities have distinct dialects and writing traditions, so this glyph is not a universal spelling across all Yi varieties.

Why was the Yi script standardized?

To give Liangshan Yi a consistent written syllabary. The older Yi script, historically called Cuan or Wei, had many local forms. Bimo (Yi priests) passed down religious, magical, medical, and family-lineage texts. A traditional origin story credits Aki with creating the script during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), but its origin remains uncertain. The earliest surviving reliably dated example is a bronze-bell inscription from 1485.

The Liangshan standard was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It kept selected traditional forms but assigned signs to spoken syllables, making a phonetic syllabary. Older writing varied by region and often used signs for words or ideas; the standardized script is specific to Liangshan Yi.

How do I type ꎁ?

Use a Yi input method and enter the romanized syllable rrox. As of 2026, Windows includes a Yi IME. Add Yi under Settings > Time & language > Language & region, switch to it with Windows + Space, type the syllable’s phonemes, and choose the matching character suggestion.

If ꎁ appears as a box, the font may lack Yi coverage. A Yi-capable font, such as Noto Sans Yi or Nuosu SIL, can display it.