Tangut character 18482

Its reconstructed Tangut reading is conventionally transcribed “xia.” A dictionary matching Tangut characters with Chinese entries records that reading. The scholarly Latin transcription of 𘒂𗉔 is xia tśjiw; the pair spells Xiazhou (夏州), a historic administrative region north of present-day Jingbian in Shaanxi.

This gives 𘒂 a concrete place-name context. Xiazhou is the Chinese name of that place; the Tangut pair is not an English translation of the character.

Tangut was the language of Western Xia, a kingdom in northwestern China. Its script entered official use around 1036 for government records, diplomacy, Buddhist translations, and printing. The latest known Tangut examples date to 1502: pillars bearing dhāraṇī, short Buddhist ritual texts.

What does it mean when someone sends 𘒂?

Treat it as a historical-script reference unless the sender explains otherwise.

As of 2026-09-16, no general-chat reading is established for a standalone 𘒂. If a specialist or learner sends it, ask what source text or gloss they intend.

Why does 𘒂 show as a box?

The selected font may not include Tangut characters.

Text can contain U+18482 even when the font cannot draw its glyph. Use a Tangut-capable font. Some fonts also select source-based variants, alternate glyph designs tied to a text source; BabelStone Tangut Yinchuan v. 16.0.4 documents one for 𘒂.