It turns out that there [is a method for 4-digit Unicode hex code input on macOS][1], but it's not the default, and enabling it messes up the normal Option-code method for inputting additional characters not on the keyboard. Is this what you've done? I found it to be a bit dodgy, prone to getting confused about the order of the hex digits if you fat-finger one. This on top of the document's other warnings about this method, I turned it right back off. **Opt-E, a** is a far easier method than holding down Option (not Alt!) and trying to remember 00E1. > I will get sqlite running on it Big Sur ships with SQLite 3.32.3, and both the U+00E1 hex code and normal Opt-E, a methods for inputting รก work with it under the stock terminal. I think we've gone well beyond SQLite issues here now, so I think if you want to follow this up any further, you need to take this to a Perl or macOS forum. [1]: https://www.webnots.com/how-to-use-unicode-hex-input-method-in-mac/