cinnabar red 21 realizations MACROAREA: Eurasia
NEW Realization 1
type Polysemy
language Cantonese Chinese
lexeme daan1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 2
type Polysemy
language Cantonese Chinese
lexeme zyu1 (硃)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 3
type Polysemy
language English
lexeme cinnabar
meaning 1 deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion
direction
meaning 2 bright red colour tinted with orange
reference OED English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 4
type Polysemy
language Hakka Chinese
lexeme tân (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 5
type Polysemy
language Japanese
lexeme tan (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 yellow-red color
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 6
type Polysemy
language Mandarin Chinese
lexeme dān (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary BKRS
comment

Character is a pictogram of a well or mine with cinnabar inside. It can also indicate "red cinnabar" used in dyeing clothes (e.g., 彤). The original version is 𠂁.

Schuessler (2007) suggests a Kam-Tai origin, comparing it to Proto-Kam-Sui *h-lanꟲ (“red”). 矸, as in 丹矸, may be a variant; see there for more.

Alternatively, it may be from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *t(j)a-n ~ *tsa-n (“red”), whence Burmese တာ (ta, “very red”) (Matisoff, 2003; Hill, 2014); however, STEDT currently does not compare this to 丹.

Possibly related to 旃 (OC *tjan, “a plain red flag”), as well as 袒 (OC *daːnʔ, “to bare; to strip oneself naked to the waist”), as skin color is often associated with "red". See these entries for more. 

NEW Realization 7
type Polysemy
language Mandarin Chinese
lexeme zhū (硃)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference BKRS English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 8
type Polysemy
language Meixian Hakka Chinese
lexeme dan1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 9
type Polysemy
language Middle Chinese
lexeme tan (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 10
type Polysemy
language Middle Chinese
lexeme tsyu (硃)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 11
type Polysemy
language Min Dong (Eastern Min)
lexeme dăng (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 12
type Polysemy
language Northern Min
lexeme dúing (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 13
type Polysemy
language Puxian Min
lexeme dang1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 14
type Polysemy
language Puxian Min
lexeme cou1 (硃)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 15
type Polysemy
language Southern Min (Min Nan)
lexeme dang1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 16
type Polysemy
language Southern Min (Min Nan)
lexeme chu (硃)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 17
type Polysemy
language Southern Pinghua
lexeme daan1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 18
type Polysemy
language Teochew (Chaozhou)
lexeme dang1 / duan1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 19
type Polysemy
language Thai
lexeme châat (ชาด)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red; vermilion
reference SEAlang Thai English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 20
type Polysemy
language Wu Chinese
lexeme 1te / 1tae / 1toe / 1taen (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment
NEW Realization 21
type Polysemy
language Xiang Chinese
lexeme dan1 (丹)
meaning 1 cinnabar
direction
meaning 2 red
reference English Wiktionary
comment