Wherever we turn, we encounter colors that unquestionably make our life much more enjoyable. So, where do the names of these colors come from? Some of the color names, many of which have been translated from a foreign language into Turkish, have very interesting stories.
Have you ever dreamed of a colorless life? No, it’s not black and white because they’re also colors. Complete, endless colorlessness. We hope that we will never encounter this situation, which is impossible to even think about, because it is colors that add meaning to the life we live. We are talking about each color we come across with a name and Colors we can’t name We call it a light color, a dark color, or it looks like this color.
Where do the names of the colors come from? Have you ever thought about it? The names of many colors have entered our language from foreign languages such as Arabic and French and have become what we use today. Some of them have interesting stories dating back to ancient Turks. Where do the names of the colors come from? Let’s shed some light on the question and take a closer look at the naming stories, some of which surprise and some that make you smile.
Blue:
The name of the color blue comes from the Arabic word “Ma” meaning water. While the word Ma means water, the word “Ma’i” belongs to water, It means something that comes from water. In the book Divân-ı Lügati’t-Türk, written by Kaşgarlı Mahmud, the words çakır and sky are used to describe the color blue.
Yellow:
The word yellow appears in the ancient monument of the Turks, the Orkhon Inscriptions. Here to qualify when describing gold mine The word “yellow” is used as an adjective in front of it. It is seen that the word “yellow” describes the yellow color we know and at the same time it is a reinforcement like “pale yellow”.
Black:
There are two different theories about the origin story of the word black. According to the first theory describing black color in Persian It has passed into our language from the word “siyâ”. According to the second theory, it has passed into our language from the Sanskrit word “syama”, which describes the color black. It seems pretty strong and logical in both theories.
Green:
The origin of the name of the green color is also Turkish. It is derived from the word “yaş”, which means fresh in Turkish. describing the vitality of plants The word “old” is derived. The word “green” has evolved into the current word green.
Beige:
Although the beige color seems to be mentioned more in recent years, it is actually Its origin is quite ancient. The French word “beige” is used to describe the color of sheep’s wool. The name of the color beige, which expresses a slightly darker color than white, has passed into our language from French.
Grey:
The name of the gray color has passed into our language from French, just like beige. It was also translated into French from Germanic. Germanic to describe the light ash color The word “gris” used in French was used as “gris”, and from there it passed into our language as gray, keeping the same meaning.
Turquoise:
Although the name of the color turquoise has passed into our language from French, its origin is still based on the Turks. Imported from the territory of our country to France The color of an ornamental stone with a blue-like color was named “turquoise” by the French, meaning Turkish stone. The name “Turquoise” has passed into our language as turquoise.
burgundy:
The color of the burgundy name is also French. From Bordeaux, a city in France is coming. Bordeaux is a city famous for its wines, and although we call it red wine, the color of the wines is not exactly red. For this reason, wine and similar colors are called burgundy.
Red:
The name of the color red is among the words that passed into our language from Arabic. This word, which is called kosnil today, but called “red” at the time. from the red color obtained from an insect is coming. Again, the words red and red used to describe the color red are also pure Turkish. The word red is derived from anger, and the word red is derived from a sacred definition.
Navy blue:
The name of the dark blue color comes to our language from Persian and there from Sanskrit. used to describe the color of dark blue in Sanskrit The word “rācāvarta” was passed into Persian as “dark blue”, and from there it came to our language as dark blue.
White:
The name of the color white has also passed into our language from Arabic. Derived from the Arabic root “byd” and means to be white The word “bayad” has passed into our language as white. Derived from the same root, the word “bayda” means egg. The word white, which is another word used to describe the color white, is pure Turkish and means truth, justice, heaven.
Purple:
There are two different theories about the origin story of the word purple. According to the first theory Means “iron rust” in Persian It has passed into our language from the word “mur”. According to the second theory, the word “morm”, which is used to describe fruits such as blackberry and black mulberry, has passed into our language. Both theories are quite plausible.
Pink:
Before the cotton plant turns into cotton as we know it, a light red flower blooms and turns into this flower. cotton flower is called. In Persian, cotton flower is called “penbe” and it is thought that the word pink came into our language in this way. Even if it is wrong, it is known that the word penbe is still used.
Khaki:
The name of the color khaki is among the words that passed into our language from Persian. The Persian word “χāk” is earth, and the word “χākī” derived from it is also to describe the color of the earth used. Due to the pronunciation of the word, it has passed into our language as khaki.
Brown:
As you guessed, brown is really a brown color. This phrase, which came to our language from Persian, is known as “gahvai reng”. For the previously brown color meaning nutshell color, Again, the Persian word “hazelnut” was used. Abstract Turkish words such as kongur, that is, put, ala, and ela are also used for the color brown. The word auburn used for its light brown color is a pure Turkish word derived from the words “konur al”.
Where do the names of the colors come from? only as an answer to the question some of the main colors we can talk. Of course, there are many more detailed studies on the subject, but the source of all the colors known and used by everyone today is not known exactly.