Colors in Ancient Greek
Posted: December 4th, 2019, 8:02 pm
I've attempted to put together an Ancient Greek color palette (attached), which I realize can never be totally precise and is likely a mixed bag of anachronisms.
But in the absence of a time machine that would allow me to survey native speakers of Ancient Greek to ascertain how they might name various colors, I thought I'd open this up to the forum for input. Perhaps someone could suggest a website for reference. This doesn't seem to be a common domain for textbooks/grammars of Ancient languages (though, ironically, it's kind of a staple for 'living languages').
I've based my color choices off of various definitions and descriptions from different sources. Here's the general framework that I'm working around. All adjectival forms are neuter à la Modern Greek - as if naming the colors, though I'm not sure if that was ever a thing in antiquity:
PINKISH
1. ῥόδινον - rose colored
GREENISH
1. χλωρόν (χλοερόν) - greenish-yellow, pale-green, light-green, grassy, yellow (of honey/sand), (generally) pale, bleached
BLUISH
1. γλαυκόν - (later) bluish green or grey (of the olive); light blue (eyes), grey
2. χαροπόν - (later) light-blue or bluish-gray; bright eye color
3. κυανοῦν / κυάνεον / κύανον - dark-blue, glossy-blue (sea); dark, black; brunette
PURPLEISH / VIOLETISH
1. πορφυροῦν / πορφύρεον - dark-red, crimson
2. ἁλουργές - sea-purple, genuine purple
3. φοινικοῦν / φοινίκεον / φοῖνιξ - purple-red, crimson (Phoenician/Tyrian purple)
4. ἰόεν (masc. - ἰόεις) - dark purple/violet
BROWNISH
1. ὄρφνινον - brownish gray, a mix of black, red & white
REDDISH
1. ἐρυθρόν - the color of nectar and wine, blood, copper, gold
2. κόκκινον - (later) scarlet
3. ὑακίνθινον - blackish-red
ORANGEISH
1. πυρρόν / πυρσόν - flame-colored, yellowish-red
YELLOWISH
1. ξανθόν - various shades of golden hair, blonde
2. ξουθόν - yellowish, brown-yellow, tawny
3. μήλινον - quince-yellow
WHITISH / LIGHT COLORED
1. λευκόν - white, bright
2. λευκανθές - white-blossoming, blanched/bleached
GRAYISH / LIGHT COLORED
1. φαιόν - dusky, dun
2. πολιόν - (like λευκόν) gray hair, bright, clear, hoary (from age)
BLACKISH / DARK
1. μέλαν / μελάγχιμον - very black, dark, murky
2. κελαινόν - black, dark, murky, swarthy (race), metallic black
3. ἐρεμνόν - murky
But in the absence of a time machine that would allow me to survey native speakers of Ancient Greek to ascertain how they might name various colors, I thought I'd open this up to the forum for input. Perhaps someone could suggest a website for reference. This doesn't seem to be a common domain for textbooks/grammars of Ancient languages (though, ironically, it's kind of a staple for 'living languages').
I've based my color choices off of various definitions and descriptions from different sources. Here's the general framework that I'm working around. All adjectival forms are neuter à la Modern Greek - as if naming the colors, though I'm not sure if that was ever a thing in antiquity:
PINKISH
1. ῥόδινον - rose colored
GREENISH
1. χλωρόν (χλοερόν) - greenish-yellow, pale-green, light-green, grassy, yellow (of honey/sand), (generally) pale, bleached
BLUISH
1. γλαυκόν - (later) bluish green or grey (of the olive); light blue (eyes), grey
2. χαροπόν - (later) light-blue or bluish-gray; bright eye color
3. κυανοῦν / κυάνεον / κύανον - dark-blue, glossy-blue (sea); dark, black; brunette
PURPLEISH / VIOLETISH
1. πορφυροῦν / πορφύρεον - dark-red, crimson
2. ἁλουργές - sea-purple, genuine purple
3. φοινικοῦν / φοινίκεον / φοῖνιξ - purple-red, crimson (Phoenician/Tyrian purple)
4. ἰόεν (masc. - ἰόεις) - dark purple/violet
BROWNISH
1. ὄρφνινον - brownish gray, a mix of black, red & white
REDDISH
1. ἐρυθρόν - the color of nectar and wine, blood, copper, gold
2. κόκκινον - (later) scarlet
3. ὑακίνθινον - blackish-red
ORANGEISH
1. πυρρόν / πυρσόν - flame-colored, yellowish-red
YELLOWISH
1. ξανθόν - various shades of golden hair, blonde
2. ξουθόν - yellowish, brown-yellow, tawny
3. μήλινον - quince-yellow
WHITISH / LIGHT COLORED
1. λευκόν - white, bright
2. λευκανθές - white-blossoming, blanched/bleached
GRAYISH / LIGHT COLORED
1. φαιόν - dusky, dun
2. πολιόν - (like λευκόν) gray hair, bright, clear, hoary (from age)
BLACKISH / DARK
1. μέλαν / μελάγχιμον - very black, dark, murky
2. κελαινόν - black, dark, murky, swarthy (race), metallic black
3. ἐρεμνόν - murky