Tangut Component 688

No. 𘪯 names a component, not a complete Tangut word. Scholars use Tangut components to analyze characters and index them in modern dictionaries; some dictionaries use them as lookup radicals. An Ideographic Description Sequence (IDS) is a short string showing how a character is built, and Tangut components can serve as its structural pieces.

The Tangut ruler Li Yuanhao ordered the script created in 1036 as part of state-building. Tangut, also called Xixia, writing served Buddhist texts, government work, and translations of nonreligious works. A manuscript fragment found at the ruined city of Khara-Khoto probably dates to the 12th or early 13th century.

The mid-12th-century dictionary Sea of Characters explains full Tangut characters through pieces borrowed from other characters; a component’s contribution can vary by character. Tangut writing shares character-building approaches with Chinese and Khitan traditions, but it was not derived from Chinese. Later Tangut dictionaries used differing component systems.

Why does 𘪯 look different in Tangut references?

An early chart drew its upper part differently. A Unicode note from 2019 proposed changing the top component shown in early charts to match forms in older Tangut sources. References based on different drawings can therefore show two outlines for the same encoded character.

Unicode’s Tangut data gives 𘝡 and 𘝢 radical-stroke lookup value 688. 𗟚 is documented as a glyph variant of 𘝡. These connections help trace the component’s use in character indexes and the variant history of a full Tangut character.

How do I type 𘪯?

Use Unicode hex entry, then a font with Tangut coverage.

In an app with Unicode hex input, enter 18AAF; the shortcut depends on your operating system and app.

If it appears as a box, the active font may lack Tangut Components coverage. As of 2026, Noto Serif Tangut documentation lists support for both the Tangut and Tangut Components blocks.