Tangut Ideograph 17E7E

The dictionary gloss is “former times.”

An English index to Lǐ Fànwén’s 2008 Tangut–Chinese dictionary, a reference book pairing Tangut entries with Chinese meanings, lists 𗹾 as L2951 and gives that gloss. That makes it a word in Tangut writing, not a meaning guessed from the glyph’s shape.

Why was Tangut writing made?

It was created to write the language of Western Xia.

In 1036, Western Xia established a national script modeled on Chinese writing. It served the separate Tangut language and state, including diplomatic relations with Song, Liao, Jin, Tibetans, and Uyghurs.

Tangut books included translations of Chinese classics, Buddhist scriptures, Confucian works, dictionaries, and legal texts. Printing and religious texts continued in the Yuan period after Western Xia fell.

Can I send 𗹾 in a normal message?

Send it only when a Tangut text or historical reference is expected.

In Tangut writing, 𗹾 is read as a word in its sentence. Alone in a modern chat, it works as a quotation, study sample, or deliberate historical reference; someone unfamiliar with Tangut may not infer its reading from the glyph.

Fonts or apps without Tangut coverage may show a missing-glyph box or fallback. That is a display problem, not a change to the text; for the dictionary gloss, write “former times.”