Tangut character 𗪼

Li Fanwen’s English index glosses the entry as “mirror.”

Tangut was the language written in Western Xia, a historical kingdom. A dictionary gloss is a starting point; it does not show how this word works in every sentence.

The Tangut script was created under Western Xia’s first emperor about 1036 for the kingdom’s official and cultural life. Surviving texts include government records, religious works, books, and inscriptions.

Someone sent me 𗪼 — what does it mean?

A lone 𗪼 needs Tangut context or a gloss.

Without surrounding text, it is hard to tell why someone sent this historical character. A reader who knows Tangut can consult its dictionary entry; a reader who does not needs the word explained.

If you send it to someone unfamiliar with Tangut, label the script and add “mirror” as the dictionary gloss. That tells them what the character refers to without making them guess.

Is 𗪼 a Chinese character?

No. It belongs to a separate script influenced by Chinese forms.

Tangut and Chinese can share a square, brush-written style, but Tangut is a different writing system. Visual resemblance by itself does not provide a Chinese reading.

After the fall of Western Xia, the script continued into later dynasties before becoming obsolete. Scholars rediscovered Tangut writing in the late 19th century; historical texts and dictionaries support its study.