Words for colours in Cornish (Kernewek) with notes and colour-related expressions.
Words of in the Standard Written Form (SWF) of Cornish. Pronunciations are given in Middle and Late Cornish variants, which are marked (M) and (L) where they differ.
Colour in Cornish is liw [liˑʊ] (pl: liwyow), which also means dye or paint. Another word for colour in Cornish is kolor ['kɔlɔr (M); 'kɔlɐr (L)], which also means paint or make-up.
Related words include:
du [dy: / diˑʊ] - black, dark
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *duβ (black), from Proto-Celtic *dubus (black), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (black).
gwynn [gwɪn] - white, fair, blessed
Etymology: from the Proto-Brythonic *gwɨnn (white), from Proto-Celtic *windos (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytos (bright; shine).
rudh [ry:ð (M); ri:ð (L)] - red
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *rowdos (red), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (red)
melen - yellow, blonde
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *melinos, from *meli (honey), from Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey).
glas [gla:z (M); glæ:z (L)] - blue, green, grey
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *glas (green, blue), from Proto-Celtic *glastos (green, blue), probably from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃stós, from *ǵʰelh₃- (“green, yellow”).
gwyrdh [gwɪrð]; gwer [gwɛ:r (M); gwe:r (L)] - green; dulas ['dʏlas (m); 'dɪʊləz (L)] - dark green
Etymology: gwyrdh and gwer come from Latin viridis (green). Dulas = black-green.
gell [gɛl: ] - (light) brown; gorm [gɔrm] - (dark) brown
Etymology (gell): Proto-Celtic *gello- (yellow) or *gelo- (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (gleam, yellow)
Etymology (gorm): Proto-Brythonic *gurm (dun, dark, blue), from Proto-Celtic *gurmos (dun, dark, blue).
gwynnrudh ['gwɪnrʏð (M); 'gwɪnrəð (L)]; kigliw ['kɪglɪʊ] - pink
Etymology: gwynn = "white-red". kigliw = "meat/flesh-colour".
rudhvelyn [rʏð'vɛlɪn (M); rɪð'vɛlən (L)] - orange
Etymology: redhvelyn = "red-yellow"
loes [lo:z (M); lu:z (L)] - grey, mouldy; glas [gla:z (M); glæ:z (L)] - blue, green, grey
Etymology (loes): from Proto-Brythonic *luïd, from Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos, from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (gray).
glasrudh ['glazrʏð (M); 'glæzrəð (L)]; purpur ['pʏrpʏr (M); 'pərpər (L)] - purple
Etymology: glasrudh = "blue/green-red". Purpur comes from the English purple.
arghans ['arhans (M); 'ærhɐnz (L)] - silver, money
Etymology: from Old Cornish argans, from Proto-Celtic *arganto- (silver), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erg- (to shine)
owr [ɔʊr] - gold
Etymology: from Latin aureus (golden)
Hear some of these Cornish colours:
Liwyow - Colour 2 from Golden Tree Productions on Vimeo.
Sources
http://www.cornishdictionary.org.uk/
https://en.wiktionary.org
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