Yi syllable xot

ꑧ writes a Nuosu (Liangshan Yi) syllable; its word meaning depends on context. Nuosu is the Liangshan variety of Yi. In the romanized spelling xot, the final t marks high tone—a higher pitch—and adds no consonant sound. One character alone therefore has no fixed translation.

The earliest securely dated surviving Yi-script evidence includes an inscription on a bronze bell from 1485; the script's older beginnings remain debated. Traditional local forms carried religious, magical and medical writing, as well as family histories and ancestry, through bimo lineages. Bimo are Yi ritual specialists.

The modern Liangshan Yi standard was devised in 1974 and officially promulgated in 1980 to improve literacy. It draws on older Northern Yi writing traditions, but does not represent every historical Yi form or every Yi variety.

How does Windows Yi input work?

Type the romanized syllable, then select the matching character. Microsoft's Windows guide, updated 2024-06-20, says to select Yi input, type xot on a regular keyboard, then choose ꑧ from the candidate list.

If ꑧ appears as a square, the active font lacks Yi syllable coverage. The character itself has not changed.

What if someone sent ꑧ alone?

Alone, ꑧ identifies a Yi syllable, but not the intended word. Ask for the surrounding Yi word or sentence; the character by itself cannot show which word the sender meant.