Tangut character 𗀏

A variegated horse with white hooves.

This Tangut horse character names an animal with a mixed coat and white feet. Scholars reconstruct its reading in forms such as *par²; dictionaries also record 𗀏 as a variant spelling of 𗍸.

The character may look like Chinese writing, but Tangut is a separate script. Its structure does not make it a Chinese character, and the glyph alone does not reveal this word's gloss.

Why is 𗀏 a variant form?

It is a historical spelling variant of the same Tangut word.

𗀏 appears in the A edition of Homophones, a Tangut rhyming dictionary from the 12th century. Unicode Technical Note 42 distinguishes it from 𗍸 by a single horizontal line across the top.

This is an orthographic difference, not a font variation. A font may draw strokes differently, but 𗀏 keeps its own Unicode identity.

Where did Tangut writing belong?

Tangut writing was made for the Tangut language.

The script began about 1036 CE under Western Xia's first emperor. It served official, private, and religious writing, including books, Buddhist scriptures, inscriptions, and manuscripts.

After Western Xia fell to the Mongols, Tangut writing continued through the Yuan and Ming dynasties; it became obsolete by the end of the Ming dynasty. It was rediscovered in the late 19th century and largely deciphered in the early 20th century. Today it is studied as a historical script.