# 玄

| 玄 | U+7384, &#29572; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7384 |
| ← 玃 [U+7383] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 玅 → [U+7385] |
| ⽞ | U+2F5E, &#12126; KANGXI RADICAL PROFOUND |
| ← ⽝ [U+2F5D] | Kangxi Radicals | ⽟ → [U+2F5F] |

## Translingual
### Han character

玄 (Kangxi radical 95, 玄+0, 5 strokes, cangjie input 卜女戈 (YVI), four-corner 0073$_2$, composition ⿱亠幺)
* Kangxi radical #95, ⽞.

#### Derived characters

* Appendix:Chinese radical/玄
* 伭, 呟, 𡊨, 妶, 𪨬, 𢂄, 弦, 怰, 𢫔, 泫, 㹡, 𨸫, 𣃡, 昡, 𣐙, 𪵚, 炫, 玹, 胘, 𥙆, 眩, 𥎸, 𪿖, 𮃀, 袨, 絃, 𦍫, 舷, 蚿, 𧣙, 詃(𬣤), 䝮, 𧺻, 鉉(铉), 䩙, 𩗁, 䮄(𫠊), 𩨬, 鮌, 𪐷, 𪗰
* 𠛑, 𠡆, 𮟴, 𩑹, 䲻, 𠅋, 畜, 𦬾, 𣆂, 䍗, 𠣖, 痃, 衒, 牽, 𨴋, 𡇎

### Notes

Naming taboo (避諱 / 避讳); the last dot in 玄 was omitted to avoid using the same character in the Kangxi Emperor's personal name, which was 玄燁 / 玄烨, therefore producing 𤣥 (xuán).
This was also applied to derived characters; characters like 弦 and 畜 were also missing the last dot in 玄 (xuán) during this time.
This also produced 𤍞 (yè) < 燁 / 烨 (yè).

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: not present, would follow page 725, character 1
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 20814
* Dae Jaweon: page 1134, character 8
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 280, character 3
* Unihan data for U+7384

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 玄 :
| Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 弦 | *ɡeːn |
| 絃 | *ɡeːn, *qʰʷeːn |
| 舷 | *ɡeːn |
| 痃 | *ɡeːn |
| 胘 | *ɡeːn, *ɡʷeːn |
| 蚿 | *ɡeːn |
| 伭 | *ɡeːn |
| 婱 | *ɡeːn |
| 玄 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 眩 | *ɡʷeːn, *ɡʷeːn |
| 玹 | *ɡʷeːn, *ɡʷeːn |
| 玆 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 詃 | *kʷeːn |
| 泫 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 鉉 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 炫 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 袨 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 衒 | *ɡʷeːn |
| 惤 | *ɡʷreːŋ |
Ideogram (指事), two intervowen threads 幺 and a distinguishing mark 亠 on top. The whole character should represent a rope, as seen in 率 and 弦. However, this rope is different from 己 and 乃.

### Etymology

Unknown. The oldest basic color term for "black" which was later replaced by 黑 (OC *hmlɯːɡ) (Schuessler, 2007).
One of its derivations is 袨 (OC *ɡʷeːn, “a kind of black formal wear”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): xuán (xuan$^2$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄢˊ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jyun$^4$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): hièn / hiàn
    (Hailu, HRS): hien
* Northern Min (KCR): hṳ̌ing
* Eastern Min (BUC): hièng
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): hoeng$^2$ / hyeng$^2$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): hiân / goân
    (Teochew, Peng'im): hiang$^5$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$yi; $^6$yoe
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: xuán
*** Zhuyin: ㄒㄩㄢˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: syuán
*** Wade–Giles: hsüan$^2$
*** Yale: sywán
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyuan
*** Palladius: сюань (sjuanʹ)
*** Sinological IPA : /ɕy̯ɛn³⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jyun$^4$
*** Yale: yùhn
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jyn$^4$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yun$^4$
*** Sinological IPA : /jyːn²¹/
* Hakka
** (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hièn
*** Hakka Romanization System: hien$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: hian$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /hi̯en¹¹/
** (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hiàn
*** Hakka Romanization System: hian$^ˇ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: hian$^2$
*** Sinological IPA: /hi̯an¹¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: hien
*** Sinological IPA: /hien⁵⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: hṳ̌ing
*** Sinological IPA : /xyiŋ²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: hièng
*** Sinological IPA : /hieŋ⁵³/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: hoeng$^2$
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: hé̤ng
*** Sinological IPA : /hœŋ¹³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: hyeng$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /hyøŋ¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hiân
*** Tâi-lô: hiân
*** Phofsit Daibuun: hieen
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /hiɛn²³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /hiɛn²⁴/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: goân
*** Tâi-lô: guân
*** Phofsit Daibuun: goaan
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡuan²³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /ɡuan²⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: hiang$^5$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hiâng
*** Sinological IPA : /hiaŋ⁵⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$yi; $^6$yoe
*** MiniDict: yi$^去$; yoe$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$hhi; $^3$hhyoe
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɦi²³/, /ɦyø²³/
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit玄 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /ɕyan³⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /ɕyan²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /ɕyan⁴⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /ɕyã⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /ɕyã⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /ɕyan⁴²/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /ɕyã²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /ɕyã²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /ɕyan⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /ɕyɛ̃n⁵³/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /ɕyan⁵¹/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /ɕiɛn²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /ɕyan³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /ɕian²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /ɕiɛ̃³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /ɕyen⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /ɕyĩ⁵⁵/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /ɕye¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /ɕye̞¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /ɕye³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /ɦi²³/ /ɦyø²³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /ɦiø¹³/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /ɦyõ²¹³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /jy³¹/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /ɕye⁴⁴/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /ɕyɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /ɕyẽ¹³/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /ɕyẽ¹²/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /ɕyɵn⁴⁵/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /hian¹¹/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /hien¹¹/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /jyn²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /yn²¹/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /jyn²¹/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /hian³⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /hieŋ⁵³/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /xyiŋ²¹/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /hiaŋ⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /hin³¹/ |
* Middle Chinese: hwen
Rime :
| Character | 玄 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 匣 (33) |
| Final (韻) | 先 (86) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed |
| Division (等) | IV |
| Fanqie | 胡涓切 |
| Baxter | hwen |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ɦwen/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ɦʷen/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ɣuɛn/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ɦwɛn/ |
| Li Rong | /ɣuen/ |
| Wang Li | /ɣiwen/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ɣiwen/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | xuán |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jyun$^4$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ɢ]ʷˤi[n]/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ɡʷeːn/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 玄 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | xuán |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ hwen › |
| Old Chinese | /*[ɢ]ʷˁi[n]/ |
| English | dark |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 玄 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 14029 |
| Phonetic component | 玄 |
| Rime group | 元 |
| Rime subdivision | 2 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 玄 |
| Old Chinese | /*ɡʷeːn/ |

### Definitions

玄
* deep; profound; mysterious
* black; reddish black
    From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on Bernhard Karlgren's version
    Qīyuè míng jú, bāyuè zǎi jì. Zǎi xuán zǎi huáng, wǒ zhū kǒng yáng, wèi gōngzǐ shang. [Pinyin]
    In the seventh month there is the crying shrike; in the eighth month we spin, both black and yellow; our red-dye is very bright; we make skirts for the young noblemen.
* sky
* a surname

### Compounds

* 三玄
* 九天玄女
* 十玄門 / 十玄门
* 唐玄宗
* 大羹玄酒
* 天地玄黃 / 天地玄黄
* 太玄 (tàixuán)
* 太玄經 / 太玄经 (Tàixuánjīng)
* 好弄玄虛 / 好弄玄虚
* 故弄玄虛 / 故弄玄虚 (gùnòngxuánxū)
* 易玄光
* 暗藏玄機 / 暗藏玄机
* 正始玄風 / 正始玄风
* 法華玄義 / 法华玄义
* 玄之又玄 (xuánzhīyòuxuán)
* 玄了
* 玄兔
* 玄冥
* 玄冬
* 玄化
* 玄厲 / 玄厉
* 玄參 / 玄参 (xuánshēn)
* 玄圃
* 玄圃積玉 / 玄圃积玉
* 玄堂
* 玄塞
* 玄天
* 玄天上帝 (Xuántiān Shàngdì)
* 玄奘
* 玄奧 / 玄奥
* 玄女 (Xuánnǚ)
* 玄妙 (xuánmiào)
* 玄妙入神
* 玄妙無窮 / 玄妙无穷
* 玄妙莫測 / 玄妙莫测
* 玄妻
* 玄孫 / 玄孙 (xuánsūn)
* 玄學 / 玄学 (xuánxué)
* 玄宗
* 玄室
* 玄宮 / 玄宫
* 玄德
* 玄悟
* 玄想
* 玄教
* 玄旨
* 玄月
* 玄服
* 玄根
* 玄機 / 玄机 (xuánjī)
* 玄機妙算 / 玄机妙算
* 玄武 (Xuánwǔ)
* 玄武岩 (xuánwǔyán)
* 玄武湖
* 玄武門 / 玄武门
* 玄氣 / 玄气
* 玄津
* 玄流
* 玄海
* 玄混
* 玄湣
* 玄熊
* 玄燭 / 玄烛
* 玄狐
* 玄狐蜂
* 玄玄
* 玄玉
* 玄珠
* 玄理
* 玄真
* 玄石
* 玄石沉湎
* 玄社
* 玄祕塔碑 / 玄秘塔碑
* 玄穹 (xuánqióng)
* 玄端
* 玄策
* 玄纁 / 玄𫄸
* 玄聖 / 玄圣
* 玄英
* 玄著
* 玄菟
* 玄虛 / 玄虚 (xuánxū)
* 玄製 / 玄制
* 玄覽 / 玄览
* 玄談 / 玄谈
* 玄謀 / 玄谋
* 玄謀廟算 / 玄谋庙算
* 玄象
* 玄豹
* 玄趾
* 玄遠 / 玄远
* 玄都
* 玄酒
* 玄鍼 / 玄针
* 玄門 / 玄门 (xuánmén)
* 玄闕 / 玄阙 (xuánquè)
* 玄關 / 玄关 (xuánguān)
* 玄關妙理 / 玄关妙理
* 玄陰 / 玄阴
* 玄雲 / 玄云
* 玄青 (xuánqīng)
* 玄風 / 玄风
* 玄駒 / 玄驹
* 玄鳥 / 玄鸟
* 玄鳥氏 / 玄鸟氏
* 玄鳳 / 玄凤
* 玄鶴 / 玄鹤
* 玄黃 / 玄黄
* 玄黃翻覆 / 玄黄翻覆
* 玄鼠
* 玄龍 / 玄龙
* 精悟玄鑒 / 精悟玄鉴
* 義玄 / 义玄
* 談玄 / 谈玄
* 賣弄玄虛 / 卖弄玄虚 (màinòngxuánxū)
* 超超玄箸
* 趙玄壇 / 赵玄坛
* 通玄
* 鉤玄 / 钩玄
* 鉤玄提要 / 钩玄提要
* 陳玄 / 陈玄

### References

* “玄”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “玄”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 270.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* mysterious
* occultness

#### Readings

* Go-on: げん (gen, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: けん (ken)
* Kun: くろ (kuro, 玄)、くろい (kuroi, 玄い)

## Korean
### Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Middle Korean readings, if any”)

### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [çʌ̹n]
* Phonetic hangul: [현]

### Hanja

Wikisource 玄 • (hyeon) (hangeul 현, revised hyeon, McCune–Reischauer hyŏn, Yale hyen)
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Chữ Hán

玄: Hán Việt readings: huyền
* chữ Hán form of huyền (“mysterious”).

#### Compounds

* 玄妙 (huyền diệu)
* 玄幻 (huyền ảo)
* 玄秘 (huyền bí)
* 玄話 (huyền thoại)