The Semantics of Colour: A Historical Approach

"Our world is full of natural colour. Against background swathes of blue sky, yellow sand, green grass and white snow, we prize the startling hues of flowers, fruit, feathers and gemstones. Yet this is not enough for us. Most human societies strive to produce their own colours, namely, dyes and paints of the greatest possible variety. A Palaeolithic cave artist depicting familiar animals, and a modern British home-owner agonizing over the perfect colour-scheme for the living-room, are both exhibiting the same delight in colour, and the same need to adapt it to their own social, cultural and individual requirements. To say that colour plays multiple roles in human society is a gross understatement. It is everywhere in our lives, sometimes boringly dull and at other times brilliantly eye-catching. It is often taken for granted, yet it also conveys vital messages, as in traffic lights or electrical wiring. It can even signify and engender loyalties and hatreds that influence human history, as in heraldry, uniforms and flags. Since it pervades every aspect of human life, it might be considered essential for our languages to express colour concepts clearly, accurately and in a way that is easily communicable. Yet, when the colour vocabularies of various languages are considered and compared, the researcher finds that there are many different ways in which humans categorize and 'label' colours, resulting in an amazing array of misunderstandings. Monoglot individuals invariably believe that their own colour system is clear and obvious, and they are often mystified when confronted with an alternative system"--Provided by publisher.