青

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (青):
* → Japanese: 青(せい) (sei)
* → Korean: 청(靑) (cheong)
* → Vietnamese: thanh (青)

→ Tocharian A: tseṃ (“blue”)

→ Tocharian B: tseṃ m (“blue”), tseñña f

→ Vietnamese: xanh (“green”)

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ²⁴/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ²⁴/

/t͡sʰi̯aŋ⁵⁵/

Second round of simplified Chinese characters

Ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 生 (“growth of plants”) + 丹 (“cinnabar”); a more conservative variant is 𤯞. Cinnabar was used for dyeing, and by extension, came to imply “color” in general, giving the combined meaning “color of growing plants” → “blue-green”.
In the modern glyph, the top component is reduced to 龶, and the bottom component resembles the unrelated 月 (yuè, “moon”).
The second-round simplified form of the character is based on the calligraphic form of the character.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-riŋ ~ s-r(j)aŋ (“to live; to be alive; to give birth; raw; green”). Cognate with 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “to live”), 蒼 (OC *sʰaːŋ, “green; blue”), 性 (OC *sleŋs, “nature”), 姓 (OC *sleŋs, “surname”). Note 蒼 (OC *sʰaːŋ) may be an old dialect variant of 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ) (Schuessler, 2007).

inh

靑
寈
㞭
𡗡
𡴏
𡴑
𡷉
𤯝
𤯞

青BB [Cantonese] ― ceng¹ bi¹ bi¹ [Jyutping]


滄

Characters in the same phonetic series (倉) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰaːŋ, *sʰraŋs): semantic 氵 (“water”) + phonetic 倉 (OC *sʰaːŋ).


紺

Borrowed from Japanese 紺 (kon), from Middle Chinese 紺 (kʌmᴴ), see previous etymology for detail.

(Taiwanese Hokkien) navy blue; dark blue


蒼

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *sʰaːŋ, *sʰaːŋʔ): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 倉 (OC *sʰaːŋ).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-riŋ ~ s-r(j)aŋ (“to live; to be alive; to give birth; raw; green”) (STEDT). May be an old dialect variant of 青 (OC *sʰleːŋ, “green; blue”). Also cognate with 生 (OC *sʰleːŋ, *sreŋs, “to live”), 性 (OC *sleŋs, “nature”), 姓 (OC *sleŋs, “surname”) (Schuessler, 2007).


藍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (藍):
* → Japanese: 藍(らん) (ran)
* → Korean: 람(藍) (ram)
* → Vietnamese: lam (藍)

desc

→ Proto-Hmong-Mien: *ŋglam ~ ŋgram (“indigo”)

White Hmong: nkaj

→ Proto-Tai: *g.raːmᴬ (“indigo”)

Thai: คราม (kraam)

Lao: ຄາມ (khām)

Zhuang: gyaemq (“purple-red”)

→ Proto-Tai: *kromꟲ (“indigo”)

Thai: ฮ่อม (hɔ̂ɔm)

Zhuang: romj, goromj

→? Proto-Vietic: *ɟaːm (“indigo”)

Muong: chàm

Vietnamese: chàm

→ Khmer: ត្រុំ (trom)

→ Zhuang: lamz

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *ɡ·raːm): semantic 艸 (“grass”) + phonetic 監 (OC *kraːm, *kraːms).
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *g-ram (“indigo”); cognate with Lepcha ᰛᰤᰨᰮ (ryom), Mru [script needed] (charam), Tibetan རམས (rams, “indigo”) (STEDT; Schuessler, 2007; Hill, 2019). However, Laufer (1916) considers the Tibetan word to be borrowed from Chinese.
Schuessler (2007) considers this an areal word, possibly from Southeast Asia; cf. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taʀum (“indigo plant and dye”) (> Malay tarum).

cog

Burmese ခရမ်း (hka.ram:, “purple, violet”)

Blue is obtained from the indigo plant but is bluer than the plant itself.

青，取之於藍，而青於藍。

青，取之于蓝，而青于蓝。

Indigofera tinctoria
Indigofera tinctoria#Translingual


藍色

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (藍色):
* → Korean: 남색(藍色) (namsaek)

/län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/laŋ³³ sɛ²⁴/

/l̃aŋ⁵³⁻²¹ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾naiʔ²⁴/

/lam²⁴⁻¹² siɪk̚³²/

/lam²⁴⁻²¹ sek̚³²/

/na²⁴⁻²¹ sek̚³²/

/nã²³⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/nã²⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sek̚²/

/le²² səʔ⁴⁴/

/län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/laŋ³³ sɛ²⁴/

/l̃aŋ⁵³⁻²¹ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾naiʔ²⁴/

/lam²⁴⁻¹² siɪk̚³²/

/lam²⁴⁻²¹ sek̚³²/

/na²⁴⁻²¹ sek̚³²/

/nã²³⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/nã²⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sek̚²/

/le²² səʔ⁴⁴/


寒色

/xän³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/hɔːn²¹ sɪk̚⁵/

/xän³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/hɔːn²¹ sɪk̚⁵/


青色

Sino-Xenic (青色):
* → Korean: 청색(靑色) (cheongsaek)

/t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾naiʔ²⁴/

/t͡sʰẽ⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰẽ⁴⁴⁻²² sek̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ³³ siɪk̚⁵/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² sek̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰẽ³³⁻²³ sek̚²/

/t͡ɕʰin⁵⁵ səʔ²¹/

/t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾naiʔ²⁴/

/t͡sʰẽ⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰɛ̃⁴⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰẽ⁴⁴⁻²² sek̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ³³ siɪk̚⁵/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² sek̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰẽ³³⁻²³ sek̚²/

/t͡ɕʰin⁵⁵ səʔ²¹/


藏青

/t͡sɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sɔːŋ²² t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sɔːŋ²² t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵/


鮮色

/ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰĩ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ siak̚⁵/

/ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰĩ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/t͡sʰĩ⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ siak̚⁵/

(Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) sky blue; azure


群青

/t͡ɕʰyn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

/kʷʰɐn²¹ t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰyn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

/kʷʰɐn²¹ t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵/


淡藍色

/tän⁵¹ län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/tän⁵¹ län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/


寶藍

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵/


蔚藍

/weɪ̯⁵¹ län³⁵/

/wɐi̯³³ laːm²¹/

/weɪ̯⁵¹ län³⁵/

/wɐi̯³³ laːm²¹/


天藍色

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ laːm²¹ sɪk̚⁵/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam²⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam¹³⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²³⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²⁴⁻¹¹ siɪk̚³²/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ län³⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ laːm²¹ sɪk̚⁵/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam²⁴⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam¹³⁻²² siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²³⁻³³ siɪk̚³²/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²⁴⁻¹¹ siɪk̚³²/


紺色

/kʰɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/kʰɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/kʰɔŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/kʰɔŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɪk̚³²/

Derived from Japanese 紺色(こんいろ) (kon'iro).


湛藍

/ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ län³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ län³⁵/


天藍

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ län³⁵/

/tʰie¹¹ læ̃¹¹/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam²⁴/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam¹³/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²⁴/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²³/

/tʰi̯ẽ³³ l̃an¹³/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ län³⁵/

/tʰie¹¹ læ̃¹¹/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam²⁴/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² lam¹³/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²⁴/

/tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ lam²³/

/tʰi̯ẽ³³ l̃an¹³/


淺藍

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵/

/ˈt͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³⁻¹³ lan³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰie⁵³ læ̃¹¹/

/t͡sʰiŋ²¹ laŋ³³/

/t͡sʰieŋ³³⁻²¹ l̃aŋ⁵³/

/t͡sʰi̯ẽ⁴¹ l̃an¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ẽ⁴¹ l̃an¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵/

/ˈt͡ɕʰiɛn²¹³⁻¹³ lan³⁵/

/t͡ɕʰie⁵³ læ̃¹¹/

/t͡sʰiŋ²¹ laŋ³³/

/t͡sʰieŋ³³⁻²¹ l̃aŋ⁵³/

/t͡sʰi̯ẽ⁴¹ l̃an¹³/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ẽ⁴¹ l̃an¹³/


湖色

/wuː²¹ sɪk̚⁵/

/hu⁵³⁻²¹ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾laiʔ²⁴/

/wuː²¹ sɪk̚⁵/

/hu⁵³⁻²¹ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾laiʔ²⁴/


淡藍

/tʰam⁵³⁻⁵⁵ lam¹¹/

/tæ̃⁴⁵ læ̃⁴⁵/

/tʰam⁵³⁻⁵⁵ lam¹¹/

/tæ̃⁴⁵ læ̃⁴⁵/