Nüshu, the only documented female-exclusive language script in history

Image from Wikimedia Commons 

The history of female literacy tells disheartening, but sometimes intriguing stories. In the earlier chapters of human history, a common (yet not entirely universal) fate that women faced across cultures was the lack of opportunity to build literacy. The deprivation, however, did not appease women's rebellion- loud or quiet- had given birth to some thoughtful inventions over the centuries. Today we delve into the literary case of Nüshu.

What is Nüshu?

This is Nüshu 女書 (lit. female writing), the only documented women-exclusive script originating in Hunan, China, back in its ancient Song dynasty (960-1279 AD). It is logographic-syllabic and Daoist in nature, consisting of letters akin to Runic alphabets. It features 1, 000 basic words and bears a certain degree of linguistic similarity with the Chinese characters. The physical script of Nüshu is slanted, part of which resembles characters on the Chinese Oracle Bone Script. A subjective view of Nüshu holds that it is highly aesthetic, much like abstract drawings of dance due to the slanted and 'flowy' nature of its strokes.

Nüshu came around as a way for women to express their emotions and to share things about life-big or small-amongst each other. It was born as women of the time were not encouraged to build literacy. Nüshu was scripted on objects that females of the time used daily, such as paper fans and handkerchiefs, although it was also written on 'conventional' mediums such as paper. At times, Nüshu was written on books with cloth covers which contained information on 'wife duties', named Sanchaoshu 三朝書. Thanks to aesthetic design of Nüshu and the medium on which they were carried (daily 'feminine' objects), men of the time treated Nüshu characters as nothing more than fancy embroidery and never truly came to the realisation that Nüshu was indeed a secret language among their wives and daughters.

The Myth of Nüshu

According to folklore, Nüshu is said to have been invented by Hu Yuxiu (胡玉秀), a stunning, brilliant woman hailing from Jiangyong in Hunan province in the Song dynasty. Her looks and talents were such that her name had made its way to the palace, where the then-emperor came to be mesmerised by her. He wanted her for himself and invited Yuxiu to live in the palace with him.

So, there went Yuxiu. While she did live a glamorous, well-cared-for life, deep down she felt lonely and yearned for the company of her friends and family back home. She desired to write to them to express her woes, but also remained fearful if the emperor would check her letters and discover her ugly feelings. She then came up with the clever idea of 'hiding' her messages by drawing female embroidery patterns unique to her hometown in letters that she sent back home, giving birth to what would be known as Nüshu.

While this is a believable story, some deem it to be nothing more than a myth.

'...could there have been other female scripts around the world that, due to unfavourable social-historical circumstances, never made it to the pages of history?'

Nüshu and its Broader Implications

A question of critical interest pertains to why Nüshu has come to be the only documented women-exclusive script in the world. Is Nüshu truly the only female-only written language? Or could there have been other female scripts around the world that, due to unfavourable social-historical circumstances, never made it to the pages of history? Or perhaps the women societies who developed similar scripts were not large enough for them to become known? I hold scepticism towards the claim that no other female scripts were invented in other corners of the world; I am a firm believer in the intellectual resilience of women, and I choose to think that in the face of male oppression, females worldwide must have somehow formed creative alternatives to educate themselves. Stories of female societies have been recorded across cultures, and I am certain that the power of such societies have brought about important intellectual revolutions-even if we don't have the good fortune to hear about them today.

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If you enjoy exploring topics on female societies, be sure to check out my best-performing article on Female Resilience in the Ukrainian Gulag published by Varsity, shared widely in Ukraine and by Harvard University.