What 𗕉 means
It is linked to a Tangut word for “otter.”
Li Fanwen’s 2008 dictionary lists 𗕉 as entry 1216 and gives the reconstructed reading *śjow². The asterisk marks a form inferred from historical evidence. A Tibetan dictionary record connects this Tangut form to སྲམ, a Tibetan word for “otter.”
Tangut script was created around 1036 under the first Western Xia emperor. It served official and private writing and Buddhist texts; use continued under the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and the script became obsolete by the end of the Ming dynasty. It was rediscovered in the late 19th century. Surviving books, Buddhist texts, inscriptions, and manuscripts are among the records scholars use to study it.
Why does 𗕉 look like Chinese writing?
Tangut is a separate script with Chinese-style character forms. It writes Tangut, not Han Chinese, so this glyph’s shape does not supply a Mandarin reading.
Historical and specialist: use it in discussion of Tangut writing, texts, or Unicode.
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Who writes 𗕉
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Related characters
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Questions people ask
2Is 𗕉 Chinese?
No. 𗕉 belongs to Tangut, a separate script whose characters have a Chinese-style design.
Why is 𗕉 a square on my screen?
Usually, your font or app lacks Tangut coverage. The text still contains 𗕉; a font with Tangut support can display it.
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How to type or find 𗕉
- Search it as
- tangut character · tangut script · western xia · xixia · 𗕉 meaning · 𗕉 otter · *śjow²
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
𗕉\17549\U00017549.𗕉 in HTML.Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.