Tangut character 1772B

𗜫 is a Tangut character read as sji.

One Tibetan-annotated manuscript records the Tangut reading sji with a Tibetan sound gloss si. In the Tangut primer Golden Guide, the character opens a list of Chinese surnames; the list pairs it with 息 and renders the name as “Si.” That is a use in this list, not a general English translation.

In 1036, Western Xia emperor Li Yuanhao ordered Tangut writing as part of building the state, including a Buddhist canon—a collection of Buddhist texts. Surviving books include translations from Chinese and Tibetan, Confucian works, laws, and other secular material. Tangut writing continued after Western Xia fell; the latest known inscription dates to 1502.

Why does 𗜫 look different in different fonts?

A font changes the drawing, not the encoded character. Tangut scholarship records different component systems and reconstructed stroke orders, so fonts can draw the same character differently. A shape difference alone does not make it a different character.

If it appears as an empty box, the font lacks Tangut coverage. Tangut Yinchuan is a documented font for Unicode Tangut characters; its design may still differ from other fonts.

Is Tangut a form of Chinese?

No. Tangut is a separate writing system for the Tangut language. Its forms drew on Chinese writing, but the script did not descend directly from Chinese. The Western Xia rulers also followed their Khitan neighbors’ example by establishing an official script for their own state.