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Yelü Diela

d. 926

Inventor of the Khitan small script (c.925)

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About Yelü Diela

Yelü Diela was a Chinese politician.

Yelü Diela was the younger brother of the Liao dynasty founder Yelü Abaoji. He invented the "Khitan small script" to accommodate the more agglutinative Khitan language around the year 925. The script was based partly on the earlier "Khitan large script" or Chinese-like logographic writing, but was also inspired by the vertically written Old Uyghur alphabet that was shown to him by an ambassador.

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Important facts

Died
926
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Yelv Diela

Frequently asked questions

Who was Yelü Diela?

inventor of the Khitan small script (c.925)

When did Yelü Diela die?

Yelü Diela died in 926.

What was Yelü Diela's occupation?

Yelü Diela was a politician.

What nationality was Yelü Diela?

Yelü Diela was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Yelü Diela

· Wikidata: Q5956233

· DBpedia: Yelü Diela

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Yelü Diela. https://biography.guide/yelu-diela/

MLA: "Yelü Diela." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/yelu-diela/.

Chicago: "Yelü Diela." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/yelu-diela/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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