Zanabazar Square Subjoiner

It joins consonants into a vertical stack. Insert 𑩇 between consonant letters: the text system places the next consonant below the previous one. Repeat the mark between each added consonant in the same cluster. In the example sequence, two marks connect three consonants; the last character is a vowel sign.

Zanabazar Square took shape in the late 17th century for writing Mongolian, Sanskrit, and Tibetan. It is based on Tibetan script; its consonant repertoire is also compared with Phags-pa. That comparison does not show that this mark itself was borrowed from Phags-pa. Surviving examples include manuscripts, pages printed from carved blocks, a seal, and a biography written in the script. The script was rediscovered in 1801; how long it was used remains uncertain.

Why can 𑩇 look blank?

Alone, it may look blank or show a dotted circle. 𑩇 is a combining mark: its effect appears within a consonant sequence when a font and text system can shape Zanabazar Square. Without that support, letters may stay separate or the mark may appear missing.

Rendering support varies by text system. As of February 2018, Windows 10’s Universal Shaping Engine did not support Zanabazar Square; HarfBuzz support existed but had reported problems. Check a full sequence in a font and text system that support the script before assuming the spelling is wrong.