Tangut ideograph 17E74

Its dictionary gloss is “demon” or “spirit.”

A Tangut dictionary lists it as L1958 in a group of characters scholars infer had the same sound. Other entries in that group mean “heaven,” “seed,” “sound,” “surname,” “birth,” “fly” and “fountain”; those meanings do not transfer to 𗹴.

Is 𗹴 Chinese?

No. It is a Tangut character, not a Chinese one.

Tangut writing was created around 1036 under Western Xia’s first emperor for the kingdom’s government and to distinguish its language and culture from Chinese. People used it in official and private writing and in religious works, including books, sutras (religious texts), inscriptions and manuscripts.

Western Xia fell in 1227, but Tangut writing continued in later Yuan and Ming settings before falling out of use. Neighboring dynasties of the same broad era also had writing systems, including Khitan and Jurchen. Surviving texts preserve evidence about Tangut and Western Xia history.

What does 𗹴 mean when someone sends it?

It is a Tangut word; the sender’s intent depends on context.

A message with only this character cannot show whether the sender means its “demon” or “spirit” gloss or is displaying a historical-script character. If you send it to someone who does not read Tangut, include one of those glosses in your message to make your intended meaning clear.