Tangut Ideograph 172D2

A Tangut dictionary links it to melting or fusing.

Li Fanwen’s Tangut–Chinese dictionary index pairs 𗋒 with 熔, a Chinese gloss meaning “melt” or “fuse.” It gives a translation, not a Tangut pronunciation.

Tangut is a separate historical language with its own script, so the character belongs in a Tangut text; surrounding words supply context.

Why was the Tangut script created?

It served Western Xia’s government and literary life.

In 1036, Emperor Li Yuanhao ordered the script into use. Scholars also link its creation to a Tangut Buddhist canon—a collection of authoritative scriptures—and to an identity distinct from Song China.

Western Xia used Tangut for official records, Buddhist translations, Chinese classics, military works, encyclopedias, and literature. A Khara-Khoto manuscript is probably from the 12th or early 13th century. Tangut disappeared from daily use after the Mongol conquest in the 13th century. The Khitan states had made scripts earlier; Tangut writing also drew inspiration from Chinese writing while recording another language.