What 𘛼 means
A Tangut dictionary glosses it as 題: title, topic, or question.
The Tangut–Chinese dictionary gives 題 as the gloss for 𘛼. In Chinese, 題 means a title, topic, or question; this is a translation, not evidence that 𘛼 is a Chinese character.
The Tangut (Xixia) script was created for Western Xia state correspondence around 1036. In 1038, a committee began translating Buddhist sutras—texts of Buddhist teachings—into Tangut. After 1227, Tangut writing continued in religious and scholarly works under the later Yuan and Ming dynasties.
Is 𘛼 a Chinese character?
No. It belongs to the Tangut script.
The Tangut script has forms resembling Chinese characters and can be written vertically, but it is distinct. The neighboring Khitan states also developed state scripts; that is a historical parallel, not evidence that Khitan script supplied this character.
As of 2026, using 𘛼 signals a deliberate reference to Tangut writing.
題 is a Chinese gloss, not an alternate spelling or substitute for 𘛼.
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Who writes 𘛼
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Questions people ask
1Why does 𘛼 appear as a box?
The active font lacks a Tangut glyph. The encoded character is unchanged; a font with Tangut coverage can display it.
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How to type or find 𘛼
- Search it as
- tangut · xixia · tangut character · xixia character · tangut 186fc · tangut 1406 · tangut input method · tangut font
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
𘛼\186FC\U000186FC; in HTML, use the character reference 𘛼.Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.