Tangut character 𗊉

It is a Tangut character; its label gives no word meaning. The Unicode label identifies the inventory entry; it is not a translation or pronunciation. To identify the word represented in a historical text, you need a Tangut dictionary or enough surrounding text.

Is this a Chinese character? No. Tangut writing records a separate language, now extinct. The script drew on Chinese writing principles, but it is distinct and its characters are not read as ordinary Chinese.

The character's place in a historical text can help a Tangut dictionary identify its word and reading.

Why was Tangut writing created?

The Tangut state created it for government, identity, and religious writing. The standard historical account dates the script's state-backed creation to 1036, under Tangut emperor Li Yuanhao. It provided an official written form of the language, supported Buddhist translation, and marked cultural distance from Song China.

Khara-Khoto material, dated to the 12th or early 13th century, shows Tangut writing used for Buddhist works, translations of Confucian classics, encyclopedias, military treatises, and literature. The Tangut state fell in 1227, but texts continued in later Buddhist and Yuan-era settings.

The script drew on Chinese writing principles, and its creators also followed the example of the Khitan, a neighboring people with state-script traditions. These are connections between writing traditions, not evidence that individual Tangut characters are Chinese characters.