Yang (Meitei letter)
| Yang | |
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| Usage | |
| Writing system | Meitei (Meetei Mayek) |
| Type | Abugida |
| In Unicode | U+ABCC |
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_called_Eeyek_Eepee_letters_of_the_traditional_Meetei_Mayek_writing_system.png) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meitei alphabets | ||||||||||||||||||
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| History and culture | ||||||||||||||||||
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Meitei script movement • MEELAL Philosophy • Wakoklon Puya |
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| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||
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Unicode block (Extensions) Meitei keyboards • Script support |
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Yang (Meitei: ꯌ) is the thirteenth letter of the Meitei script (Meetei Mayek). It primarily represents the palatal approximant consonant ([j]).[1] In accordance with the unique naming system of the Meitei alphabet, the letter is named after and visually represents the backbone, vertebral column, or spine of the human body.[2][3]
Origin and etymology
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The name Yang translates directly to "backbone", "vertebral column", or "spine" in the Meitei language (Manipuri). Within the script's core 18 original letters (Eyek Ipee), the characters follow a structural and anatomical logic descending through the human body, following Wai (heart/navel) as the sequence transitions to the structural framework of the torso.[4][5][6][7]
According to traditional Meitei philosophy and ancient manuscripts known as Puyas, the graphic shape of the letter mimics the central skeletal ridge and vertebrae of a human spine. During the late 20th-century script revival movement, this character was officially standardized by the Government of Manipur to its current digital shape.[8][9][10][11]
Meitei mythology and cosmogony
According to traditional Meitei belief, the alphabet ꯌ (Ya) is linked to the sixth day of the week, Eelai (Friday). This day represents the manifestation of the complete, outward physical form of humanity, stemming from the belief that creation began as a divine drop of blood. Within the chronological emergence of the Meitei script, ꯌ belongs to the triad of ꯌ, ꯍ, and ꯎ, where it specifically symbolizes the human spine, the structural backbone of the fully realized physical body.[4][5][6][7]
Linguistic and phonetic usage
Sound value
In modern Meitei, Yang primarily represents the palatal approximant consonant ([j]). When spoken natively with its inherent vowel sound, it is pronounced as /ja/.[12][13]
Positional variations
- Syllable-initial: When appearing at the beginning of a syllable, it retains its standard sound of [j].[14][12][13]
- Syllable-final (Lonsum): The letter Yang does not have a dedicated final consonant form (Lonsum) in the original script block, as traditional Meitei syllables do not naturally terminate in an independent palatal approximant sound.[14][12][13]
Tonal interaction
As Meitei is a tonal language, the pitch of the syllable containing Yang is altered depending on the attached vowel diacritics (Cheitap) or the accompanying tone markers to signify distinct meanings.[12][13]
Vowel diacritic combinations
Like other abugida scripts, the consonant Yang has an inherent vowel sound of /ə/. To represent alternate or modified vowel sounds, explicit vowel diacritics (known as Cheitap Mayek) are attached to the base letter.[1][2][12][13]
The table below demonstrates how Yang combines with the standard Meitei vowel markers, detailing their respective graphic positioning, Unicode rendering, and phonetic output:
| Diacritic Name | Unicode[15][16] | Graphic Position | Syllable Character | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (None) | — | Inherent Vowel | ꯌ | ya / yə | [jə] |
| Aatap | U+ABE5 | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯥ | yā / yaa | [jaː] |
| Inap | U+ABE4 | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯤ | yi | [ji] |
| Unap | U+ABE8 | Sub-posed (Bottom) | ꯌꯨ | yu | [ju] |
| Yetnap | U+ABE6 | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯦ | ye | [je] |
| Otnap | U+ABE3 | Post-posed / Right-wrapping | ꯌꯣ | yo | [jo] |
| Cheinap | U+ABE9 | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯩ | yei / yai | [jɐj] |
| Sounap | U+ABE7 | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯧ | you / yau | [jɐw] |
| Nung | U+ABEA | Post-posed (Right) | ꯌꯪ | yang | [jaŋ] |
Computer encoding
Yang was added to the Unicode Standard in October 2009 with the release of version 5.2. It is located inside the "Meetei Mayek" block.[17]
| Character | Unicode Code Point[15][16] | Name | Character Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ꯌ | U+ABCC | MEETEI MAYEK LETTER YANG | ꯌ |
Equivalent letters
In comparative typography, the phonetic properties of Yang align with corresponding characters in other major ancestral and regional writing systems. Because Yang contains no historical derived or extended Lom Eeyek counterpart within the script's orthography, its mapping remains restricted solely to its primary sound base, arranged in strict alphabetical order by script family:
| Script Family | Equivalent Glyph | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Aramaic | 𐡉 | Ya |
| Bengali-Assamese | য | Ya |
| Ashokan Brahmi | 𑀬 | Ya |
| Burmese | ယ | Ya |
| Devanagari | य | Ya |
| Gujarati | ય | Ya |
| Gupta Brahmi | 𑀬 (Brahmi glyph) | Ya |
| Gurmukhi | ਯ | Ya |
| Kannada | ಯ | Ya |
| Malayalam | ಯ | Ya |
| Odia | ଯ | Ya |
| Perso-Arabic (Urdu) | ی | Ya |
| Phoenician | 𐤉 | Ya |
| Tamil | ய | Ya |
| Telugu | య | Ya |
| Thai | ย | Ya |
| Tibetan | ཡ | Ya |
See also
- Meitei input methods (Meitei keyboards)
- Meetei Mayek (Unicode block)
- Meetei Mayek Extensions
- Wikipedia:Meitei script display help
- Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya
- Philosophy of Meitei script
- Meitei alphabets
- Meitei script movement
- Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillol Apunba Lup
- Ancient Meitei language
- Medieval Meitei language
- Modern Meitei language
- Meitei philosophy
- Meitei mythology
- Meitei folklore
- Traditional Meitei religion (Sanamahism)
- Sanamahists
- Philosophy of Sanamahism
- Naoriya Phulo script
References
- 1 2 "Teaching Meitei Mayek: A New Approach" (PDF). Language in India.
- 1 2 Noren, akoijambam (1993). Supchanlaba Meetei Lonmit Amasung Lonchat Pathap.
- ↑ Kangjiya, Ng (1978). Kanglei Eyekki Waree.
- 1 2 Thokchao Pangkanpa, Thokchom (1958). Wakoklon Thilel Sallai Amailon Pukok (in Manipuri). Manipur University Library. India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
- 1 2 "Discovery of Kangleipak 11". e-pao.net.
- 1 2 "Discovery of Kangleipak 12". e-pao.net.
- 1 2 "Meetei Mayek 18 Subagee Kanglon Amasung Wangulon". Internet Archive; Digital Library of India (in Manipuri).
- ↑ Arambarn Parratt, Saroj Nalini, ed. (2009), "Meetei Mayek or Meetei script chart", The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur, Foundation Books, pp. 145–148, ISBN 978-81-7596-638-3, retrieved 2026-07-15
- ↑ "Transliteration from Hindi Script to Meetei Mayek : ( A Rule Based Approach )". www.semanticscholar.org. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ "Meitei Mayek Alphabets". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ "Meetei Mayek: The Script". tabish.freeshell.org. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ray, Sohini (2009). "Writing the Body: Cosmology, Orthography, and Fragments of Modernity in Northeastern India". Anthropological Quarterly. 82 (1): 129–154. ISSN 0003-5491.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Sarangthem, Bobita; Lokendro, Laishram (2022-01-01). "Script and sound system of Meiteilon". Journal of Language and Culture.
- 1 2 "Meitei Mayek Transliteration: A Comprehensive Guide". okram.co.in. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- 1 2 "Meetei Mayek | Official Unicode Consortium code chart" (PDF). Unicode.
- 1 2 "Meetei Mayek | Charts | Name list". unicode.org. Retrieved 2026-07-15.
- ↑ "Meitei Mayek Unicode 2009". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2026-07-15.