Tangut ideograph 17D35

𗴵 is a Tangut character from Western Xia's writing system. Tangut was created for the Tangut language; its square shape alone cannot reveal the character's exact word or reconstructed reading. A Unicode label identifies the character, not its translation, so a Tangut dictionary is needed for the specific reading.

The script was created under Western Xia's first emperor about 1036 to serve the state's official and cultural needs. The earliest transmitted official document cited by scholarship dates to 1072, so surviving records begin later than the script's creation.

An 1185 woodblock-printed ode from Khara-khoto includes 𗴵; its edition distinguishes ritual-language from common-language wording. Tangut continued after the Mongol conquest of Western Xia in 1227, with Yuan- and Ming-period use; a 1502 inscription is among its late examples. The script was rediscovered in the late 19th century and largely deciphered through 20th-century scholarship.

How do I type or display 𗴵?

Use a Tangut dictionary or input method. As of 2026, Tangut reference tools let you search by glyph, meaning, pronunciation, components, or a drawn form; a dedicated input method handles entry.

A font with Tangut coverage is needed to display the glyph. Without one, it may appear as a box even when the text still contains 𗴵.

Why does 𗴵 look Chinese?

Tangut writing developed under influence from the Chinese-character tradition.

Tangut writes a different language, so its square shape does not make 𗴵 a Chinese character or give it a Chinese reading. Scholars have discussed possible Khitan influence, though a direct ancestral link is unsettled. Tangut was originally written in vertical columns and is commonly set left to right today.