Tangut ideograph 171EE

Tangut sources gloss 𗇮 as “shadow” or “temple.” Both senses are documented; the surrounding Tangut text determines which translation fits.

The character appears in a Tangut Tóngyīn, a dictionary of words with the same pronunciation, from the 12th century. It also occurs in longer Tangut compounds, so this glyph alone is not necessarily a complete word.

The script was disseminated in 1036 under Li Yuanhao’s reign as part of building the Western Xia state and its Tangut Buddhist canon, a collection of Buddhist scriptures. Surviving Tangut books also include Chinese translations, Tibetan material, Confucian classics, encyclopedias, military treatises, and literature. Tangut writing drew inspiration from Chinese writing and neighboring Khitan script projects—the Khitan had their own writing systems—but it was used to write Tangut, not Chinese.

Use it as a historical Tangut reference

A Tangut specialist can work toward the word’s meaning from its written context; without that background, a reader may only recognize an unfamiliar historical script.

In a modern message, identify it as Tangut or explain the intended gloss. It works as a historical-language reference, a translation note, or a clearly explained design; unframed, it will not communicate a shared everyday reaction.