Nüshu

Uncommon card · No. 165851

Nüshu (𛆁𛈬‎; simplified Chinese: 女书; traditional Chinese: 女書; pinyin: Nǚshū; [ny˨˩˨ʂu˦]; 'women's script') is a syllabic script derived from Chinese characters that was used by ethnic Yao women for several centuries in Jiangyong, a county within the southern Chinese province of Hunan. From the early 21st century there have been official efforts to revitalise the script, as well as indications of renewed interest among the wider public. Nüshu is phonetic, with each of its approximately 600–700 characters representing a syllable. Nüshu works were a way for women to express their thoughts and feelings and establish connections with an empathetic community. Typically a group of three or four young, non-related women would pledge friendship by singing songs and writing letters in Nüshu to each other. At the time, women were typically not taught to read and write the mainstream Chinese script. It is not known when Nüshu came into being, but it seems to have reached its peak during the latter part...

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