Tangut character 𘘦

One scholarly reading gives 𘘦 the meaning “then.”

A 2024 study identifies it in a Tangut manuscript fragment, where Tibetan notes indicate its sound. Part of the surrounding line is reconstructed, so “then” is a supported scholarly reading, not a complete dictionary gloss.

Tangut writing was created around 1036 under the first Western Xia emperor for government and cultural work. Schools taught it; officials used it, and translators made Buddhist texts in it. After the Western Xia fell, later dynasties continued using the script until it became obsolete.

Is 𘘦 a Chinese character?

No. It belongs to Tangut, a separate historical writing system.

Western Xia used the Tangut language and script. Tangut's compact square forms and brush-stroke tradition were influenced by Chinese writing, but this character belongs to the Tangut script.

Why does 𘘦 look like a box?

A font without Tangut coverage may show a box.

Unicode identifies the character; your font draws its shape. Historical Tangut texts preserve variants in glyph shape, and fonts may render the same encoded character differently. If you see a box, choose a font that supports Tangut; the underlying text remains 𘘦.