Tangut Character 17147

Its reconstructed readings still do not settle a translation as of 2026.

The earliest cited record is in Tóngyīn (“Homophones”), a 12th-century Tangut book about sounds. The entry also lists two compounds alongside several reconstructed readings.

Why was Tangut writing created?

It helped the Tangut state govern and express a distinct written culture. The Tangut script, also called the Xixia script, was created in the 11th century under ruler Li Yuanhao; Yeli Renrong is associated with its implementation. Historical accounts connect it to official records, translation of a Tangut Buddhist canon—an organized collection of Buddhist scriptures—and an identity distinct from Song China.

Tangut writing was not limited to religious books: surviving works include Chinese classics, military writings, encyclopedias, and literature. Its strokes and ways of composing signs show Chinese influence, but it writes a separate language. The neighboring Khitan state had developed scripts about a century earlier.