Yi Syllable Wuox

It is one Nuosu syllable; its word value depends on surrounding text. In the standard romanization, “wuox” names the syllable; final x marks a secondary-high tone, a pitch pattern, not a separate spoken letter. So ꊄ alone has no dependable English word translation.

The earliest surviving example generally cited is an inscription on a bronze bell dated 1485. Earlier stone and bronze inscriptions have also been proposed, so the origin of Yi writing remains uncertain. In older local traditions, bimo (Yi priests) used writing for religious, magical, medical, and genealogical texts; those regional practices helped the written forms diverge.

The modern Liangshan standard grew out of these regional Yi traditions: it was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980. It standardizes the Liangshan variety, not every Yi variety. As of 2026-09-12, traditional Yi writing is generally treated as independent of Chinese characters; resemblance to Tibetan, Burmese, or Tai scripts alone does not establish descent.

How do I type ꊄ?

On Windows, enter its Yi syllable and select a candidate. Microsoft's Yi input method (IME) guide, updated 2024-06-20, describes typing phonemes with ordinary keyboard keys, then choosing the intended Yi character from a candidate list. Typing “wuox” by itself does not guarantee ꊄ; the input method must resolve the syllable.

If ꊄ appears as a box, check whether the active font supports Yi syllables. The SIL Yi keyboard supports that range; Yi radicals occupy a separate range.