Tangut character 17A77

𗩷 is a Tangut character translated in a Tangut dictionary as “gadfly,” a biting fly. It belongs to the script developed for Western Xia, which was used for Buddhist texts, laws, and official records. Its Unicode label identifies the character; it does not translate it.

Text symbol

What 𗩷 means

It is a Tangut character whose dictionary meaning is “gadfly.”

A dictionary compiled by Li Fanwen lists 𗩷 as entry 3288 and translates it into English as “gadfly,” a biting fly.

Created around 1036 for Western Xia, a state in northwestern China, the Tangut script was a state project tied to political autonomy and official writing. Historical accounts credit ruler Li Yuanhao with the idea and scholar Yeli Renrong with developing it. The script served Buddhist translations, law codes, and administration. Tangut writing continued after Western Xia fell in 1227; Buddhist pillars dated 1502 are among the latest datable Tangut materials.

Is 𗩷 Chinese or Tangut?

It is Tangut, a distinct script influenced by Chinese writing.

Western Xia used Tangut as its script. Its design drew on Chinese writing and may also reflect Khitan writing traditions. Those influences do not make 𗩷 a Chinese character: its documented dictionary entry belongs to Tangut.

In an ordinary message, 𗩷 reads as a sample of historical Tangut writing, with a scholarly tone.

The Unicode label identifies this character; it is not the word’s translation.