Yi syllable sur

It is the mid-level sur syllable; context supplies the word meaning. In the standardized Liangshan Yi writing system used for Nuosu, ꌣ is the syllable spelled sur in the standard romanization. A final t, p, or x marks a different tone; sur has none of those tone letters, so its tone is mid-level. The surrounding Yi word supplies its meaning.

How did this Yi syllabary develop?

It grew from varied traditional Yi writing into a Liangshan standard. One widespread tradition credits Aki with devising Yi writing during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The earliest surviving dated example cited is a bronze bell inscription from 1485; many surviving manuscripts are undated and may be older.

Traditional Yi writing, historically called Cuan or Wei, varied by locality in glyph shapes, available signs, and writing direction. Village priests passed down religious, magical, medical, and genealogical manuscripts within their communities. Older Yi ideographs appear not to derive from Han characters.

A Latin-alphabet scheme for the Liangshan dialect appeared in 1956 to improve literacy. The standardized Yi syllabary was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It grew from traditional Yi writing and gives consistent signs to syllables in the Liangshan dialect (Nuosu), not every Yi dialect.

Why does ꌣ show as a square?

A square means the font could not draw the Yi character. The text may still contain ꌣ; a font with Yi coverage is needed to display the glyph.