Tangut character 17BB5

The name is mechanical, not a dictionary gloss. Unicode forms Tangut names from the prefix “TANGUT IDEOGRAPH-” and the hexadecimal code point. A Tangut text or lexicon gives 𗮵’s reading and meaning.

When did Tangut writing begin?

The Western Xia state created it around 1036 CE. Its design drew on Chinese writing and earlier Khitan scripts; the Khitan were another people of the region. After the Mongol conquest, the script remained in use under Yuan and Ming rule, then became obsolete by the end of the Ming period. Scholars rediscovered it in the late 19th century and largely deciphered it in the early 20th century.