Tangut Component-216

HTML: 𘣗; JavaScript: \u{188D7}.

An HTML character reference is read in markup; the braced Unicode escape works in modern JavaScript source. Neither is a keyboard shortcut for a plain text field.

What does this Tangut component do?

It marks one structural part used to describe or index Tangut characters.

An Ideographic Description Sequence (IDS) is a compact written breakdown of a character into parts; Tangut components can appear in one. Tangut dictionaries and glossaries also use components and stroke order to organize or find characters. Here, “216” identifies the component; it is not a reading or translation.

When did Tangut writing begin?

The Tangut script was created by imperial order in 1036.

Emperor Li Yuanhao ordered it for the Tangut state, later known as Western Xia. The writing system was modeled partly on Chinese writing and the neighboring Khitan script, but was not derived from Chinese. Its creation is thought to have supported preparation of a Tangut Buddhist canon and an identity distinct from Song China.

A manuscript fragment from Khara-Khoto, a Tangut city, is undated but probably from the 12th or early 13th century. Tangut books also included Confucian classics, encyclopedias, military treatises, literature, and translations from Chinese.