玄
xuán · HSK 7
black
🧵 etymology: a small skein of dark-dyed silk; dark led to deep, mysterious
玄 began as a hank of silk twisted and dyed a deep blackish hue, so it first meant black or dark. From there it stretched to profound and mysterious, as in 玄学, the abstruse Daoist metaphysics.
玄 — twisted silk threads, top stroke 亠 over 幺
玄 originally depicted a small bundle of twisted, dyed silk threads, suggesting the deep reddish-black color of the dye. From this concrete sense it shifted to mean 'dark' or 'black,' then extended metaphorically to 'mysterious,' 'profound,' or 'abstruse,' as in Daoist philosophy.