誕 (dàn) — to be born; birth; (old) big talk, absurd

entries → 誕

TSUMUGU · TOCFL B2 (est.) · 字

誕 character · TOCFL B2 (est.)

誕＝言＋延

ㄉㄢˋ · dàn

verb/noun — to be born; birth; (old) big talk, absurd

字源 FORM — what the parts do

言義speech — talk stretched out

延聲yán — gives the soundto draw out, prolong

IFyán → dàn — initial and final both reshape

Speech (言) with 延 yán for the sound, worn to dàn — 延 is to draw out and prolong, and the old sense is talk stretched past the truth, boastful. From there the everyday word for a life beginning: 誕生、聖誕.

故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by

話（言）越拉越長（延），越說越大——本是大話，後借作「生下來」。

The talk (言) stretches longer and longer (延), swelling past the truth — once big talk, later borrowed for a life begun.

字源記憶法

意 · Meanings

(本義)大言、荒誕— big talk; absurd

→誕生— to be born; birth常用

⇒誕辰、聖誕— birthday; Christmas常用

(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension