Tangut Character 17252

Its meaning is disputed; the best-supported account treats it as a misprint.

In 1966, Nishida’s Tangut dictionary translated 𗉒 into Chinese as “lamp wick” and linked it to entry 185-065. But the 1924 edition of Handful of Pearls, a Tangut text, prints 𘎷𗉝 (“grass wick”); a 1935 lithographic edition—a later printing made from a stone plate—has 𘎷𗉒 instead. Editorial notes trace 𗉒 to that printing error.

When citing the dictionary, distinguish its label from the glyph printed in the earlier text.

why was Tangut writing created?

Tangut writing was commissioned for a state’s official and cultural life.

𗉒 belongs to the Tangut writing system, used for the Tangut language in the Western Xia state, also called Xixia. The court commissioned the script for official and cultural work. Its characters were modeled on Chinese writing but represented Tangut; knowing Chinese characters does not make Tangut readable. The script also marked cultural independence from Song China.

Tangut texts include official material, Buddhist translations, manuscripts, and books printed from carved wooden blocks. For a specialist, 𗉒 is a source-accuracy puzzle; to someone who encounters it casually, it is simply an unfamiliar Tangut character.