Tangut character 183B5

Use a Tangut input method or a Unicode escape in code.

In code, use \u{183B5} in a language that supports this syntax. If an input method misses the exact character, a Tangut dictionary lookup can help identify its entry.

What was Tangut writing used for?

Tangut was the writing system of the Tangut language in Western Xia.

About 1036 CE, the founder of Western Xia established the script as part of building a state identity. It carried official and private records as well as Buddhist scripture, including a large collection known as the Tangut Buddhist canon.

The script remained in use during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, then fell out of use by the end of the Ming dynasty. Scholars rediscovered it in the late nineteenth century and later deciphered it. Before Tangut was created, neighboring Khitan states had already developed scripts of their own; Tangut character forms also drew on Chinese writing.

Is Tangut Chinese?

No. Tangut is a separate script whose design drew on Chinese writing.

Its characters can look Chinese, but that does not provide a Mandarin reading. Unicode derives Tangut character names from code points, so the label identifies an encoded character rather than translating it. A Tangut dictionary or translated passage gives its reading in context.