Tangut character 𗓩

A Tangut index glosses 𗓩 as “wide.”

The Unicode character chart links it to entry L2008-4809 in Li Fanwen’s Tangut dictionary; the dictionary’s English index gives that entry the gloss “wide.” Tangut was the language written in Western Xia. This is a Tangut word, not a Chinese character.

Why was Tangut writing created?

Western Xia commissioned Tangut writing for its state and culture.

In 1036, Western Xia rulers ordered a script for Tangut as part of building their state and distinguishing its culture from the neighboring Song dynasty in China. Tangut writing drew on Chinese writing and the Khitan scripts of another people in the region, but represented a separate language.

The earliest surviving Tangut manuscripts date to the mid-11th century and include Buddhist translations, law codes, and secular works. The script outlived Western Xia; the latest known Tangut inscription dates to 1502.