Tangut Ideograph 17229

The surviving evidence gives reconstructed readings, not a plain translation.

As of 2026, the entry records specialist reconstructions ꞏo¹ and ¹o₁; these are scholarly reading notations, not ready-made pronunciations. Wénhǎi, a 12th-century rhyming dictionary, and Tóngyīn, a 12th-century reference on homophones, list it. One recorded compound is 𗳳𗈩.

Use 𗈩 as an exact Tangut text character. Tangut and Chinese both use compact square-shaped characters, but they are separate writing systems: Chinese readers cannot infer a Tangut reading from this character’s shape.

What does it mean when someone sends 𗈩?

Treat it as a text sample unless context supplies a word.

As of 2026, it has no established standalone mood, joke, or emoji reading. In a message, it is best read as a Tangut text sample, lookup target, or historical quotation; ask which passage or reconstructed reading the sender has in mind.

Why was Tangut writing created?

It was commissioned for Western Xia government and religious texts.

In 1036, Western Xia (Xixia) emperor Li Yuanhao ordered a native Tangut script for state-building and Buddhist translation. Its square forms were modeled on Chinese writing, but Tangut does not descend from Chinese; the region also had earlier Khitan scripts.

Manuscripts from Khara-khoto, a ruined settlement in Inner Mongolia, probably date from the 12th or early 13th century. They preserve Buddhist writings and Chinese translations on Confucian, military, encyclopedic, and literary subjects. Documented use of the script extends through 1502.