Tangut Ideograph 171B9

It is a Tangut character; its meaning needs context.

Tangut is a character-based script used for the medieval Tangut language. The Sea of Writing, a Tangut dictionary compiled in the 12th century, cites this exact character. A reconstructed pronunciation alone does not tell you what the word means in a sentence, so read it with the surrounding Tangut text.

How did Tangut writing change over time?

It was created for Western Xia and continued in religious texts after the state fell.

Tangut script was created in 1036 for the Western Xia state. It served official writing and translations of Buddhist and Chinese works; using a native script also marked Tangut political identity alongside the Song dynasty in China. After Western Xia fell in 1227, Tangut continued in the Yuan dynasty, especially in Buddhist printing. At Baoding, Buddhist ritual pillars—stone monuments inscribed with religious texts—are dated 1502.

Was 𗆹 derived from Chinese?

Tangut writing reflects Chinese influence, but this is not a Chinese character.

Tangut writing reflects Chinese visual and character-building influence while serving a different language. It also belongs to a northern frontier tradition of state scripts: the Khitan, a neighboring people, had their own scripts. A structural analysis divides 𗆹 into three components; they help identify its form, not translate it word by word.