Tangut character 𗉗

𗉗 is a Tangut verb glossed in English as “to lie.”

Scholars reconstruct the reading as *me̱², roughly “meh.” The asterisk marks a scholarly reconstruction, not a modern recording; the English gloss alone cannot settle the exact sense.

Outside Tangut-language or history discussions, add a short gloss so readers know what word the glyph represents.

Where does 𗉗 come from?

The oldest cited source for this exact character is the Tóngyīn (“Homophones”), a Tangut text about pronunciation, from the 12th century. That dates surviving documentation, not the character’s invention.

The Xixia (Western Xia) state used Tangut writing for official and cultural needs. After the Mongol conquest in the 13th century, Tangut disappeared from daily use; surviving texts are read in historical and specialist study.