Tangut character 178E9

The Unicode label gives an index number, not the Tangut word.

TANGUT IDEOGRAPH-178E9 is generated from the code point, so it identifies the entry rather than translating the character. To find the word and pronunciation represented by 𗣩, consult a Tangut dictionary or the surrounding text. Tangut writes the Tangut language; its characters may resemble Chinese characters, but the scripts are unrelated, so 𗣩 is not a Han character.

How was Tangut writing used?

It carried Western Xia’s official, religious, and literary writing.

Created under Western Xia’s first emperor around 1036 CE, the script served state records, books, inscriptions, and manuscripts. It also recorded Buddhist sutras and translations of Buddhist works from Chinese and Tibetan.

After the Mongol conquest, Tangut writing continued under Yuan and Ming rule; it was obsolete by the end of the Ming. Scholars rediscovered Tangut in the late 19th century. In the early 20th century, N. A. Nevsky’s work helped decipher much of the script.