TSUMUGU · B1 (est.) · 字
淡
淡 ＝ 氵 ＋ 炎
ㄉㄢˋ · dàn
adj — bland, thin (of taste); light, faint
字源 FORM — what the parts do
氵義water
{d,t}ITyán → dàn — initial and tone both shift
Water (氵) over 炎, a double fire. Heat a pot of water down and the broth comes out thin, watery, barely tasting of anything — bland (淡). From a weak taste, anything faint: pale colour (淡藍), cool feeling (淡漠), fresh unsalted water (淡水). The fire lends its reading yán, worn here to dàn.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一鍋水（氵）架在火（炎）上熬，熬到清湯寡水，沒什麼味。
A pot of water (氵) boiled down over the fire (炎) until the broth runs thin and tastes of almost nothing.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)淡、清淡— bland, thin (of taste)常用
→淡藍、淡淡— light, faint (colour, degree)常用
⇒淡水— fresh, unsalted (water)常用
⇒淡漠、冷淡— cool, indifferent
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension