Tangut character 1818A

The gloss depends on the source and the passage.

A Tangut dictionary table identifies 𘆊 as L1440 and lists ¹ghon₄ as its reconstructed reading—scholars’ estimate of the historical pronunciation—alongside 源 (“source”). A separate radical index pairs L1440 with ɣjow and 樽 (“wine vessel”). A Buddhist study uses ɣjow for 𘆊 in 𗰜𗳜𘆊𗆮, a phrase translated “one returns to the source [of the mind].” The readings ¹ghon₄ and ɣjow are scholarly notations, not Unicode names or input codes. The dictionary entry and surrounding sentence help explain the different glosses.

Why did Tangut develop its own script?

It gave the Tangut language a state-backed written form.

The script was created around 1036 under Li Yuanhao, first emperor of Western Xia. It served official and cultural life, including Buddhist, legal, and literary works, with translations from Chinese and Tibetan. Khitan scripts for the Khitan language were already in use by about 925, a regional example of a state writing its own language.

Tangut texts remained in use after Western Xia fell and through Yuan and Ming rule. Surviving examples reach the late 15th and early 16th centuries.