Tangut Component 156

It is an indexed component, not a standalone Tangut word. Scholars use components to describe larger Tangut characters; one may contribute meaning or sound within the character.

It is also indexed as “Tangut radical 156” or “Xixia component 156”; neither label gives its pronunciation.

Tangut writing was established under the medieval Western Xia state around 1036. Tangut texts include Buddhist works, government records, and translations. Its forms drew on visual conventions from Chinese writing and the neighboring Khitan script, but Tangut was a distinct writing system. It continued after the state fell and was obsolete by the end of the Ming dynasty; scholars rediscovered it in the late 19th century.