Tangut Ideograph 18756

A Tangut dictionary glosses it as “to transport.” 𘝖 belongs to the Tangut writing system used in the historical Xixia state; it is not a Chinese character. Its reconstructed reading is written ꞏjiw¹, a scholarly notation for its pronunciation, not a translation. In a passage, the surrounding Tangut words determine how to translate it.

Tangut ruler Li Yuanhao ordered the script in 1036 to build a state identity distinct from Song China and support a Tangut Buddhist canon, a collection of Buddhist texts. Its structures followed Chinese models, but Tangut was a separate script; the project also echoed an earlier script-making effort by the Khitan people. A manuscript from Khara-Khoto probably dates to the 12th or early 13th century. Surviving texts include Buddhist works and Chinese and Tibetan translations. Everyday use faded after the Mongol conquest in the 13th century. Later bilingual texts pairing Tangut with known languages helped scholars read it again.