Words For Colour Vary In Other Languages
Most languages have words for colours. A notable exception is the Amazon (south American) group whose language in Pirahã, who have no single words for colours but use comparisons such as sun-like for yellow and blood-like.
Some languages have only two words. One word is for all light colours. Another word is for all dark colours. The ancient Greeks had these all encompassing words.
Disused Word In English - Indigo
The English language has changed words for colour. Some are less used. I only use indigo when reciting the colours of the rainbow. I had to look up what it was. I keep forgetting.
A New Word In English - orange
We have added a new word for colour. English now has the word for orange, taken from the fruit.
Supposedly from Spanish for the fruit. Naranja. The English approximation, a norange reputedly evolved into an orange, then the colour orange.
Previously the colour was called red. Hence the terms red hair, red robin, red squirrel. They describe what we would now call orange.
Black - used in words and phrases
blackberry
black currant
black day
black look
black market
black power
black sheep
Black tie - formal wear for weddings, black for men, not for women, because black is for funerals
Blackout curtains - from World War Two, drawn at night to cut out light to protect homes from bombing.
Jet black - expensive gemstone
Little black dress - sophisticated cocktail party time evening wear
Coal black
Black and White - Zebra crossing for pedestrians crossing roads in the UK
Famously used in the song composed and sung by Amy Winehouse, 'I go back to black'.
Black is beautiful
French is noir, Italian Nero - as in Caffe Nero. German Schwarz.
Blue
The ancient Greeks had no word for the colour blue.
Some languages have different words for light and dark blue, like English navy blue and powder blue.
blue berry
Feeling blue (sad)
The blues (music)
Blue for boys (previously the colour worn by boys was red from the adult soldier's battle uniform which was blood colour
Navy blue.
The colour blue is used in the songs: Blue Suede Shoes (Elvis).Don't it make my brown eyes blue (Crystal Gayle). Blue Bayou. Blue eyed boy (song sung by French singer Edith Piaf).
Gray
USA spelling gray.
UK spelling grey.
Battleship grey.
Pink
Pink for girls (Previously for men, whose red battle uniforms faded to pink).
Pink (Originally from pinks, flowers of that colour.)
Salmon pink
Blush (for wines)
White
Wedding white
Bridal dress for Queen Victoria's daughter, associated with luxury because before washing machines keeping whites clean was a chore, with a once a week washday.
But white is for shrouds, funerals, in Asia, so there brides wear red.
Snow white
The fairy tale, which many people know from the movies.
white wine
White grapes, which produce white wine, are usually nearer green in colour.
Purple - royal purple
Once a Royal colour because the dye was expensive and rare.
It used to be the colour of half mourning in Victorian times, worn from six months after the death until the end of the year of mourning.
Green
Eat your greens
Green fingers - ability to grow plants
Lime Green
On the green
Pistachio
Grass green
Olive Green
Village green
Variations: bottle green, emerald green.
The Green-eyed monster. (Jealousy)
Green in French is vert, Italian is Verdi, Spanish verde.
Red
red currant
Lucky colour in Asia, and for wedding dresses
Red and white
Blood red
Blood and bandages - previously not worn as a wedding colour mixture
Dark red - Burgundy / Bordeaux / wine colour / claret
Red wine
Red light (traffic signal)
Red light district (Area of prostitution, named after lighting)
Red flag - warning sign in sports and the military
Colour of sunrise and sunset
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight
Violet
Violet (flowers)
Yellow
Yellow card - warning issued by a referee in football. Two yellow cards means one red which means you are out of the game.
Yellow peril - attributed to French and German sources. Now outdated.
Yellow fever - can cause yellowing of the skin, jaundice.
Lemon yellow
Colour of the sun
Silver
Gold
Colours of gold can be yellow, white.
Cream
Rainbow
Colours of the rainbow
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
