TSUMUGU · TOCFL C1 (est.) · 字
盞
盞 ＝ 皿 ＋ 戔
ㄓㄢˇ · zhǎn
noun — a small shallow cup; a lamp; (classifier for lamps and cups)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
皿義a vessel, a dish
戔聲jiān — gives the soundtwo halberds 戈 stacked — cutting small, running thin
{j,q,x}ITjiān → zhǎn — the initial left the {j,q,x} family; tone shifts too
A vessel (皿) with 戔 jiān for the sound — a small, shallow cup. 戔 runs small and thin everywhere it goes (淺 shallow, 錢 small change), and here it makes the little cup: 茶盞 a teacup, 酒盞 a wine cup. The oil lamp is shaped the same, so 盞 also names lamps and counts them — 一盞燈.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一只小小的皿（皿），淺得只盛一點（戔）——茶盞，也是油燈。
A tiny dish (皿), shallow enough to hold just a little (戔) — a teacup, and the oil lamp too.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)茶盞、酒盞— a small shallow cup常用
→燈盞— a lamp常用
⇒一盞燈— classifier for lamps and cups常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension