Definitions
pay an advance; silk book cover
Etymology
About
贉 is a phono-semantic compound. Its semantic component, the cowrie shell radical 貝, indicates a meaning related to money, valuables, or financial transactions. The phonetic element 規 (tán) on the right side provides the pronunciation "dàn". Historically, the character specifically referred to making an advance payment, giving compensation, or paying for goods and services. While its meaning remains tied to financial exchange, 贉 is rarely used in modern Chinese, having been largely replaced by more common terms. It exists without a dedicated simplified form.