About
Originally the same character as 幺 (which depicts a tiny silk thread), 玄 adds a distinguishing mark at the top. This altered form came to represent a bundle of silk threads dyed a deep, dark red-black through repeated immersion in the dye vat, its twisted shape echoing hanging threads left to dry. Because the resulting hue was so dark it became nearly impossible to discern, the meaning shifted from a literal dark color to abstract ideas of profoundness, mystery, and the esoteric. The character took on strong associations with early Chinese philosophical and religious traditions, especially Daoism, where it expresses the hidden, unfathomable nature of ultimate reality.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
玄关放了一把伞。
这个故事很玄乎。
玄色衣服很流行。
他对玄学感兴趣。
玄妙的音乐让人放松。
这件事背后有玄机。
玄关的设计体现了主人的品味。
玄幻小说充满了想象力和玄妙的情节。
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