Where does “дан” come from?

дан (Russian) comes from Korean 단, from Japanese 短冊, from Japanese 短, from Middle Chinese 短 — short.

дан (Russian): Dane; API •  m inan; dan

Definitions

  1. Dane; API •  m inan; dan

Ancestry of “дан”, step by step

дан traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Korean 단

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Korean단sheaf; end; cape
2Japanese短冊tanzaku; A small strip of paper that can be written on, especially those hung on bamboo or other trees during Tanabata
3Japanese短fault, weak point; minor
4Middle Chinese短short

via Japanese 段

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese段steps (up and down); stairs
2Chinese段—
Every word from Middle Chinese 短 →Every word from Japanese 短 →Every word from Japanese 短冊 →