Xixia
/ˈʃiːˌʃɑː/noun
Xixia, or Western Xia, was a medieval Tangut-led kingdom in northwestern China that existed from 1038 to 1227.
Did you know?The Western Xia created Tangut, one of the world’s most elaborate writing systems, with thousands of characters that remained undeciphered for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
西 (xī)
“West; the direction of sunset”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
夏 (Xià)
“Xia, the name of an ancient Chinese dynasty and traditional historical polity”
11th Century
Chinese
西夏 (Xīxià)
“Western Xia, the Chinese designation for the Tangut kingdom in the northwest”
1038
Tangut/Chinese
大夏 / 西夏
“The Tangut ruler Li Yuanhao proclaimed the state as Great Xia; Chinese sources commonly called it Western Xia”
1227
Mongol/Chinese
西夏
“The kingdom was conquered and destroyed by the Mongol Empire”
Modern English
English
Xixia / Western Xia
“The standard English names for the medieval Tangut state”