Yi script

The Yi scripts, also known as Cuan or Wei, are used to write the Yi languages.

Classical Yi

Classic Yi is a syllabic logographic system of 8000-10,000 glyphs. Although similar to Chinese in function, the glyphs are independent in form, with little to suggest that they're directly related. The classic script has an attested history of 500 years, but is probably much older. There is significant regional variation, with one extreme example being the glyph for "stomach", with some forty variants. Classic Yi is one of several such non-Chinese logographic scripts used by Tibeto-Burman languages of southwestern China, others being Naxi and Lisu. None of them are widely used today.

There is some internal evidence that the Chinese script may not have been originally designed for the Chinese language. Thus we cannot conclude that the Yi got the idea of writing from the Chinese. Indeed, some age estimates would make Yi the older of the two; it's also possible that they derive from a common source.

Modern Yi (ꆈꌠꁱꂷ)

The Modern Yi script (ꆈꌠꁱꂷ nuosu bburma 'Nosu script') is a standardized syllabary derived from the classic script in 1974 by the local Chinese government. It was made the official script of the Yi languages in 1980. There are 756 basic glyphs based on the Liangshan (Cool Mountain) dialect, plus 63 for syllables only found in Chinese borrowings.

The native syllabary represents vowel and consonant-vowel syllables, formed of 43 consonants and 8 vowels that can occur with any of three tones, plus two "buzzing" vowels that can only occur as mid tone. (Or perhaps a "buzzing" tone that can only occur on two vowels.) Not all combinations are possible.

Although the Liangshan dialect has four tones (and others have more), only three tones (high, mid, low) have separate glyphs. The fourth tone (rising) may sometimes occur as a grammatical inflection of the mid tone, so it is written with the mid-tone glyph plus a diacritic mark (a superscript arc). Counting this diacritic, the script represents 1,165 syllables.

Syllabary

The syllabary of standard modern Yi is as follows:

	-	b	p	bb	nb	hm	m	f	v	d	t	dd	nd	hn	n	hl	l	g	k	gg	mg	hx	ng	h	w	z	c	zz	nz	s	ss	zh	ch	rr	nr	sh	r	j	q	jj	nj	ny	x	y	-	it	ꀀ	ꀖ	ꀸ	ꁖ	ꁶ	ꂑ	ꂮ	ꃍ	ꃢ	ꄀ	ꄚ	ꄶ	ꅑ	ꅨ	ꅽ	ꆗ	ꆷ	ꇚ	ꇸ	ꈔ		ꉆ		ꉮ		ꊍ	ꊮ	ꋐ	ꋭ	ꌉ	ꌪ							ꏠ	ꏼ	ꐘ	ꐱ	ꑊ	ꑝ	ꑱ	-	ix	ꀁ	ꀗ	ꀹ	ꁗ	ꁷ	ꂒ	ꂯ	ꃎ	ꃣ	ꄁ	ꄛ	ꄷ	ꅒ	ꅩ	ꅾ	ꆘ	ꆸ	ꇛ	ꇹ	ꈕ		ꉇ				ꊎ	ꊯ	ꋑ	ꋮ	ꌊ	ꌫ							ꏡ	ꏽ	ꐙ	ꐲ	ꑋ	ꑞ	ꑲ	-	i	ꀂ	ꀘ	ꀺ	ꁘ	ꁸ	ꂓ	ꂰ	ꃏ	ꃤ	ꄂ	ꄜ	ꄸ	ꅓ	ꅪ	ꅿ	ꆙ	ꆹ	ꇜ	ꇺ	ꈖ		ꉈ				ꊏ	ꊰ	ꋒ	ꋯ	ꌋ	ꌬ							ꏢ	ꏾ	ꐚ	ꐳ	ꑌ	ꑟ	ꑳ	-	ip	ꀃ	ꀙ	ꀻ	ꁙ	ꁹ	ꂔ	ꂱ	ꃐ	ꃥ	ꄃ	ꄝ	ꄹ	ꅔ	ꅫ	ꆀ	ꆚ	ꆺ	ꇝ	ꇻ			ꉉ				ꊐ	ꊱ	ꋓ	ꋰ	ꌌ	ꌭ							ꏣ	ꏿ	ꐛ	ꐴ	ꑍ	ꑠ	ꑴ	-	iet	ꀄ	ꀚ		ꁚ					ꃦ					ꅬ			ꆻ	ꇞ				ꉊ					ꊲ	ꋔ										ꏤ	ꐀ	ꐜ	ꐵ	ꑎ	ꑡ	ꑵ	-	iex	ꀅ	ꀛ	ꀼ	ꁛ	ꁺ	ꂕ	ꂲ		ꃧ	ꄄ	ꄞ	ꄺ	ꅕ	ꅭ	ꆁ	ꆛ	ꆼ	ꇟ	ꇼ	ꈗ	ꈰ	ꉋ	ꉝ	ꉯ		ꊑ	ꊳ	ꋕ	ꋱ	ꌍ	ꌮ							ꏥ	ꐁ	ꐝ	ꐶ	ꑏ	ꑢ	ꑶ	-	ie	ꀆ	ꀜ	ꀽ	ꁜ	ꁻ	ꂖ	ꂳ		ꃨ	ꄅ	ꄟ	ꄻ	ꅖ	ꅮ	ꆂ	ꆜ	ꆽ	ꇠ	ꇽ	ꈘ	ꈱ	ꉌ	ꉞ	ꉰ		ꊒ	ꊴ	ꋖ	ꋲ	ꌎ	ꌯ							ꏦ	ꐂ	ꐞ	ꐷ	ꑐ	ꑣ	ꑷ	-	iep	ꀇ	ꀝ	ꀾ	ꁝ	ꁼ	ꂗ	ꂴ		ꃩ	ꄆ	ꄠ	ꄼ		ꅯ	ꆃ	ꆝ	ꆾ	ꇡ	ꇾ	ꈙ		ꉍ	ꉟ			ꊓ	ꊵ	ꋗ	ꋳ	ꌏ	ꌰ							ꏧ	ꐃ	ꐟ	ꐸ	ꑑ	ꑤ	ꑸ	-	at	ꀈ	ꀞ	ꀿ	ꁞ	ꁽ	ꂘ	ꂵ	ꃑ	ꃪ	ꄇ	ꄡ	ꄽ	ꅗ	ꅰ		ꆞ	ꆿ	ꇢ	ꇿ	ꈚ	ꈲ	ꉎ	ꉠ	ꉱ	ꊀ	ꊔ	ꊶ	ꋘ	ꋴ	ꌐ	ꌱ	ꍉ	ꍤ		ꎗ	ꎮ	ꏉ								-	ax	ꀉ	ꀟ	ꁀ	ꁟ	ꁾ	ꂙ	ꂶ	ꃒ	ꃫ	ꄈ	ꄢ	ꄾ	ꅘ	ꅱ	ꆄ	ꆟ	ꇀ	ꇣ	ꈀ	ꈛ	ꈳ	ꉏ	ꉡ	ꉲ	ꊁ	ꊕ	ꊷ	ꋙ	ꋵ	ꌑ	ꌲ	ꍇ	ꍢ	ꍼ	ꎕ	ꎬ	ꏇ								-	a	ꀊ	ꀠ	ꁁ	ꁠ	ꁿ	ꂚ	ꂷ	ꃓ	ꃬ	ꄉ	ꄣ	ꄿ	ꅙ	ꅲ	ꆅ	ꆠ	ꇁ	ꇤ	ꈁ	ꈜ	ꈴ	ꉐ	ꉢ	ꉳ	ꊂ	ꊖ	ꊸ	ꋚ	ꋶ	ꌒ	ꌳ	ꍈ	ꍣ	ꍽ	ꎖ	ꎭ	ꏈ								-	ap	ꀋ	ꀡ	ꁂ	ꁡ	ꂀ	ꂛ	ꂸ	ꃔ	ꃭ	ꄊ	ꄤ	ꅀ	ꅚ	ꅳ	ꆆ	ꆡ	ꇂ	ꇥ	ꈂ	ꈝ	ꈵ	ꉑ	ꉣ	ꉴ	ꊃ	ꊗ	ꊹ	ꋛ	ꋷ	ꌓ	ꌴ	ꍉ	ꍤ		ꎗ	ꎮ	ꏉ								-	uot							ꂹ				ꄥ						ꇃ	ꇦ		ꈞ		ꉒ	ꉤ	ꉵ									ꍨ					ꏨ	ꐄ					ꑹ	-	uox	ꀌ	ꀢ	ꁃ	ꁢ		ꂜ	ꂺ			ꄋ	ꄦ	ꅁ		ꅴ	ꆇ	ꆢ	ꇄ	ꇧ	ꈃ	ꈟ	ꈶ	ꉓ	ꉥ	ꉶ	ꊄ	ꊘ	ꊺ		ꋸ	ꌔ		ꍊ	ꍦ	ꍾ		ꎯ	ꏊ	ꏩ	ꐅ	ꐠ	ꐹ	ꑒ	ꑥ	ꑺ	-	uo	ꀍ	ꀣ	ꁄ	ꁣ		ꂝ	ꂻ			ꄌ	ꄧ	ꅂ		ꅵ	ꆈ	ꆣ	ꇅ	ꇨ	ꈄ	ꈠ	ꈷ	ꉔ	ꉦ	ꉷ	ꊅ	ꊙ	ꊻ		ꋹ	ꌕ		ꍋ	ꍧ	ꍿ		ꎰ	ꏋ	ꏪ	ꐆ	ꐡ	ꐺ	ꑓ	ꑦ	ꑻ	-	uop	ꀎ	ꀤ	ꁅ	ꁤ		ꂞ	ꂼ				ꄨ	ꅃ			ꆉ	ꆤ	ꇆ	ꇩ	ꈅ	ꈡ	ꈸ	ꉕ		ꉸ	ꊆ	ꊚ	ꊼ			ꌖ		ꍌ	ꍨ			ꎱ	ꏌ	ꏫ	ꐇ	ꐢ		ꑔ		ꑼ	-	ot	ꀏ	ꀥ	ꁆ	ꁥ	ꂁ	ꂟ	ꂽ		ꃮ	ꄍ	ꄩ	ꅄ	ꅛ	ꅶ	ꆊ		ꇇ	ꇪ	ꈆ	ꈢ	ꈹ	ꉖ	ꉧ	ꉹ		ꊛ	ꊽ			ꌗ	ꌵ	ꍐ	ꍬ	ꎃ		ꎵ	ꏐ	ꏬ	ꐈ	ꐣ	ꐻ	ꑕ	ꑧ	ꑽ	-	ox	ꀐ	ꀦ	ꁇ	ꁦ	ꂂ	ꂠ	ꂾ	ꃕ	ꃯ	ꄎ	ꄪ	ꅅ	ꅜ	ꅷ	ꆋ	ꆥ	ꇈ	ꇫ	ꈇ	ꈣ	ꈺ	ꉗ	ꉨ	ꉺ	ꊇ	ꊜ	ꊾ	ꋜ	ꋺ	ꌘ	ꌶ	ꍎ	ꍪ	ꎁ	ꎘ	ꎳ	ꏎ	ꏭ	ꐉ	ꐤ	ꐼ	ꑖ	ꑨ	ꑾ	-	o	ꀑ	ꀧ	ꁈ	ꁧ	ꂃ	ꂡ	ꂿ	ꃖ	ꃰ	ꄏ	ꄫ	ꅆ	ꅝ		ꆌ	ꆦ	ꇉ	ꇬ	ꈈ	ꈤ	ꈻ	ꉘ	ꉩ	ꉻ	ꊈ	ꊝ	ꊿ	ꋝ		ꌙ	ꌷ	ꍏ	ꍫ	ꎂ	ꎙ	ꎴ	ꏏ	ꏮ	ꐊ	ꐥ	ꐽ	ꑗ	ꑩ	ꑿ	-	op	ꀒ	ꀨ	ꁉ	ꁨ	ꂄ	ꂢ	ꃀ	ꃗ	ꃱ	ꄐ	ꄬ	ꅇ	ꅞ	ꅸ	ꆍ	ꆧ	ꇊ	ꇭ	ꈉ	ꈥ	ꈼ	ꉙ	ꉪ	ꉼ	ꊉ	ꊞ	ꋀ	ꋞ	ꋻ	ꌚ	ꌸ	ꍐ	ꍬ	ꎃ	ꎚ	ꎵ	ꏐ	ꏯ	ꐋ	ꐦ	ꐾ	ꑘ	ꑪ	ꒀ	-	et																		ꇮ	ꈊ	ꈦ												ꍔ	ꍰ	ꎇ	ꎞ	ꎹ									-	ex	ꀓ	ꀩ		ꁩ			ꃁ		ꃲ	ꄑ	ꄭ	ꅈ	ꅟ	ꅹ	ꆎ	ꆨ	ꇋ	ꇯ	ꈋ	ꈧ	ꈽ	ꉚ	ꉫ	ꉽ	ꊊ	ꊟ	ꋁ	ꋟ	ꋼ	ꌛ	ꌹ	ꍒ	ꍮ	ꎅ	ꎜ	ꎷ	ꏑ								-	e	ꀔ	ꀪ		ꁪ			ꃂ			ꄒ	ꄮ	ꅉ	ꅠ	ꅺ	ꆏ	ꆩ	ꇌ	ꇰ	ꈌ	ꈨ	ꈾ	ꉛ	ꉬ	ꉾ	ꊋ	ꊠ	ꋂ	ꋠ	ꋽ	ꌜ	ꌺ	ꍓ	ꍯ	ꎆ	ꎝ	ꎸ	ꏒ								-	ep		ꀫ		ꁫ					ꃳ	ꄓ	ꄯ	ꅊ	ꅡ	ꅻ	ꆐ	ꆪ	ꇍ	ꇱ	ꈍ	ꈩ	ꈿ	ꉜ	ꉭ	ꉿ	ꊌ	ꊡ	ꋃ	ꋡ		ꌝ	ꌻ	ꍔ	ꍰ	ꎇ	ꎞ	ꎹ	ꏓ								-	ut		ꀬ	ꁊ	ꁬ	ꂅ	ꂣ	ꃃ	ꃘ	ꃴ	ꄔ	ꄰ	ꅋ	ꅢ	ꅼ	ꆑ	ꆫ	ꇎ	ꇲ	ꈎ	ꈪ	ꉀ					ꊢ	ꋄ			ꌞ	ꌼ	ꍘ		ꎋ	ꎢ	ꎽ	ꏗ	ꏰ	ꐌ	ꐧ		ꑙ		ꒁ	-	ux		ꀭ	ꁋ	ꁭ	ꂆ	ꂤ	ꃄ	ꃙ	ꃵ	ꄕ	ꄱ	ꅌ	ꅣ		ꆒ	ꆬ	ꇏ	ꇳ	ꈏ	ꈫ	ꉁ					ꊣ	ꋅ	ꋢ	ꋾ	ꌟ	ꌽ	ꍖ	ꍱ	ꎉ	ꎠ	ꎻ	ꏕ	ꏱ	ꐍ	ꐨ	ꐿ	ꑚ		ꒂ	-	u		ꀮ	ꁌ	ꁮ	ꂇ	ꂥ	ꃅ	ꃚ	ꃶ	ꄖ	ꄲ	ꅍ	ꅤ		ꆓ	ꆭ	ꇐ	ꇴ	ꈐ	ꈬ	ꉂ					ꊤ	ꋆ	ꋣ	ꋿ	ꌠ	ꌾ	ꍗ	ꍲ	ꎊ	ꎡ	ꎼ	ꏖ	ꏲ	ꐎ	ꐩ	ꑀ	ꑛ		ꒃ	-	up		ꀯ	ꁍ	ꁯ	ꂈ	ꂦ	ꃆ	ꃛ	ꃷ	ꄗ	ꄳ	ꅎ	ꅥ		ꆔ	ꆮ	ꇑ	ꇵ	ꈑ	ꈭ	ꉃ					ꊥ	ꋇ	ꋤ	ꌀ	ꌡ	ꌿ	ꍘ	ꍳ	ꎋ	ꎢ	ꎽ	ꏗ	ꏳ	ꐏ	ꐪ	ꑁ	ꑜ		ꒄ	-	urx		ꀰ	ꁎ	ꁰ	ꂉ	ꂧ	ꃇ	ꃜ	ꃸ	ꄘ	ꄴ	ꅏ	ꅦ		ꆕ	ꆯ	ꇒ	ꇶ	ꈒ	ꈮ	ꉄ					ꊦ	ꋈ	ꋥ	ꌁ	ꌢ		ꍙ	ꍴ	ꎌ	ꎣ	ꎾ	ꏘ	ꏴ	ꐐ	ꐫ	ꑂ			ꒅ	-	ur		ꀱ	ꁏ	ꁱ	ꂊ	ꂨ	ꃈ	ꃝ	ꃹ	ꄙ	ꄵ	ꅐ	ꅧ		ꆖ	ꆰ	ꇓ	ꇷ	ꈓ	ꈯ	ꉅ					ꊧ	ꋉ	ꋦ	ꌂ	ꌣ		ꍚ	ꍵ	ꎍ	ꎤ	ꎿ	ꏙ	ꏵ	ꐑ	ꐬ	ꑃ			ꒆ	-	yt		ꀲ	ꁐ	ꁲ	ꂋ		ꃉ	ꃞ	ꃺ							ꆱ	ꇔ									ꊨ	ꋊ	ꋧ	ꌃ	ꌤ	ꍀ	ꍞ	ꍹ	ꎑ	ꎨ	ꏃ	ꏝ	ꏶ	ꐒ	ꐭ	ꑄ		ꑫ	ꒇ	-	yx		ꀳ	ꁑ	ꁳ	ꂌ	ꂩ	ꃊ	ꃟ	ꃻ							ꆲ	ꇕ									ꊩ	ꋋ	ꋨ	ꌄ	ꌥ	ꍁ	ꍜ	ꍷ	ꎏ	ꎦ	ꏁ	ꏛ	ꏷ	ꐓ	ꐮ	ꑅ		ꑬ	ꒈ	-	y		ꀴ	ꁒ	ꁴ	ꂍ	ꂪ	ꃋ	ꃠ	ꃼ							ꆳ	ꇖ									ꊪ	ꋌ	ꋩ	ꌅ	ꌦ	ꍂ	ꍝ	ꍸ	ꎐ	ꎧ	ꏂ	ꏜ	ꏸ	ꐔ	ꐯ	ꑆ		ꑭ	ꒉ	-	yp		ꀵ	ꁓ	ꁵ	ꂎ	ꂫ	ꃌ	ꃡ	ꃽ							ꆴ	ꇗ									ꊫ	ꋍ	ꋪ	ꌆ	ꌧ	ꍃ	ꍞ	ꍹ	ꎑ	ꎨ	ꏃ	ꏝ	ꏹ	ꐕ	ꐰ	ꑇ		ꑮ	ꒊ	-	yrx		ꀶ	ꁔ		ꂏ	ꂬ			ꃾ							ꆵ	ꇘ									ꊬ	ꋎ	ꋫ	ꌇ	ꌨ	ꍄ	ꍟ	ꍺ	ꎒ	ꎩ	ꏄ	ꏞ	ꏺ	ꐖ		ꑈ		ꑯ	ꒋ	-	yr		ꀷ	ꁕ		ꂐ	ꂭ			ꃿ							ꆶ	ꇙ									ꊭ	ꋏ	ꋬ	ꌈ	ꌩ	ꍅ	ꍠ	ꍻ	ꎓ	ꎪ	ꏅ	ꏟ	ꏻ	ꐗ		ꑉ		ꑰ	ꒌ

Yi in Pinyin

The expanded pinyin letters used to write Yi are:

Consonants

The consonant series are

tenuis stop, aspirate, voiced, prenasalized, voiceless nasal, voiced nasal, voiceless fricative, voiced fricative,

respectively. In addition, hl, l are laterals, and hx is . V, w, ss, r, y are the voiced fricatives. With stops and affricates, voicing is shown by doubling the letter.

Plosive series

labial: b p bb nb hm m f v

alveolar: d t dd nd hn n hl l

velar: g k gg mg hx ng h w

Affricate series

alveolar: z c zz nz s ss

retroflex: zh ch rr nr sh r

palatal: j q jj nj ny x y

Vowels

i ie e a o uo u

plus

which is identified with the vowel of Mandarin si "four".

Tone

An unmarked syllable has mid tone. Other tones are shown by a final consonant:

t (high), p (low).

r ("buzzing" (trilled fricative) tone, as ur, yr only).

A hacek (ě, etc.) over the vowel of a mid-tone or buzzing-tone syllable represents the rising tone which takes the arc diacritic in the Modern Yi syllabary.

Yi in Unicode

The Unicode range for Modern Yi is U+A000 ... U+A4BE.

Classic Yi has not been assigned a Unicode range.

External links

Monolingual writing systems

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