What 𗣣 means
𗣣 means “food” in Tangut. Scholars reconstruct its reading as tshji; that spelling is a specialist transcription, not a guide to a modern spoken sound.
The Tangut script was introduced in 1036 under Li Yuanhao, ruler of Western Xia, to support the state’s identity and Buddhist translation. That date marks the script’s introduction, not this character’s first attested use. A Tangut manuscript from Khara-Khoto, probably from the 12th or early 13th century, is held by the British Library. Tangut texts also include Chinese translations, Confucian works, military treatises, and literature.
Tangut writing appears on Buddhist dharani pillars erected in 1502. The food element in 𗣣 also appears in Tangut forms glossed as “medicine” and “to sacrifice, to butcher.”
What does 𗣣 mean when someone sends it?
Add a gloss if the reader may not know Tangut. A Tangut reader can use its lexical value as “food”; someone unfamiliar with the historic language may see only an unfamiliar character. Read it as a Tangut reference unless the surrounding message gives another clue.
Historical and specialist: use the food meaning in a Tangut context, and gloss it when the recipient may not read the script.
Without a gloss, someone unfamiliar with Tangut cannot infer “food” from the character alone.
Part of collections
Who writes 𗣣
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What it means when someone sends it to you
2 readingsIt carries its lexical meaning, “food”; tshji is its scholarly reconstructed reading.
Related characters
3
Questions people ask
1Is 𗣣 a Chinese character?
No. It belongs to the Tangut script, created for the Tangut language. The script was visually influenced by Chinese writing traditions, but it is a separate writing system.
More like this
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How to type or find 𗣣
- Search it as
- Tangut 𗣣 · 𗣣 meaning · 𗣣 food · Tangut food character · Tangut *tshji* · Xixia script · xixia character · tangut writing · tangut script · western xia writing
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
𗣣\178E3Why is 𗣣 a box on my screen?
fsymbols draws rare signs with its own fonts, so they show here even where your device has none. An app or website without such a font shows an empty box (□) or a question mark instead. Turn our fonts off to see each sign as your device draws it by itself: a box here means a box in your chats and documents too.
Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.