Tangut character 17591

It is Tangut writing, but the label gives no word or reading. Unicode’s name is an inventory label built from the code point, not a dictionary gloss. The code chart gives L2008-1810 as its catalog reference; a Tangut dictionary or sentence context is needed to identify the word.

How did Tangut writing begin?

Western Xia rulers commissioned the script in 1036. It supported administration and a state identity distinct from Song China, and was used to translate and print Buddhist scripture. Its forms drew visual inspiration from Chinese writing, but they represent Tangut, a separate language. Its creation also followed the earlier example of the neighboring Khitan, who had developed official writing systems of their own.

Surviving works include Buddhist texts, Chinese classics, legal and military writing, and translations from Tibetan. A manuscript from the ruins of Khara-khoto in Inner Mongolia probably dates to the 12th or early 13th century; the latest known Tangut inscription dates to 1502.