several phonetic symbols.
* Phonetic characters, usually recording a CV syllable, a Vn ending, or single vowel.However, the boundary between the classes was not precise, as some ideographic characters were also used for their phonetic value as parts of other words.

Comparing Wanyan Xiyin's Nüzhen zishu with later inscriptions and Ming dynasty dictionaries, one can detect the direction of the writing system's development from ideographic to combined ideographic-phonetic. Many words originally