Whenever the concept that different languages have different words and ways of categorizing and naming colours come up, I prepare to be jealous. In her lecture, Boroditski explains that the Russian Language differentiates between dark and light blues – they’re not both called ‘blue,’ they each have their own word. Even without a full understanding of Russian colour naming, I immediately feel jealous. Does their scope of blue within each blue category match english’s do they have words to describe azure, teal, turquoise, royal, cobalt, sapphire, ultramarine, indigo? Does their range of colour names surpass english’s? Probably. I have strong feelings about colour, and the ability to better define and describe it is one I would like to have. My partner sometimes talks smack about burgundy, he will say something like “ugh, but why does it have to be this ugly mauve colour,” which makes me recoil, as everyone knows, mauve is a pale purple/pink with grey tones, not the dark cool red that is burgundy.
- To see more comments about colour, see my annotations in the CLAS activity
- The colour links are thanks to Cabinet magazine, who has published corresponding essays in relation to the linked colours in their regular column, ‘Colors’
- Thanks to Ryan Valley, my classmate who made me think more about colour today than I was initially planning on – would be happy to talk about it more with really anyone who is willing