Words for colours in Irish with notes and colour-related expressions.
The word for colour in Irish is dath (pl: dathanna). Related words include:
dubh [d̪ˠʊw] - black, dark, black-haired, dismal, swarming (with people), darkness
Etymology: from the Old Irish dub, from the Proto-Celtic *dubu- (black), from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (black).
bán [bɑːn] - white, blank, fallow, empty
Etymology: from the Old Irish bán, from the Proto-Celtic *bānos (white), from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (to shine)
dearg [ˈʤʲɛrəɡ] - red, lit, glowing, raw, intense, real; to blush, light, glow, redden
Etymology: from the Old Irish derg, from the Proto-Celtic *dergos (red, crimson), from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (to dim, darken)
rua [ruə] - red, red-haired, rusty, wild
Etymology: from the Old Irish rúad, from the Proto-Celtic *rowdo-, from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ
buí [bˠiː] - yellow
Etymology: from the Old Irish buide (yellow, buttercup, honey), from the Proto-Celtic *bodyos (yellow), from the Proto-Indo-European *badyo- (yellow, brown)
gorm ['gorəm] - blue, black (skin)
Etymology: from Old Irish gorm (blue), from the Proto-Celtic *gorsmo-, from *gor (warm, warm colour), from the Proto-Indo-European *wrmi- (worm), from the Proto-Indo-European *wer- (to turn, bend).
glas [ɡl̪ˠasˠ] - green (of grass, trees, politics etc);
grey (of sheep, horses, cloth, wool, eyes, etc) , inexperienced (person)
Etymology (glas): from the Old Irish glas (green, blue, grey), from the Proto-Celtic *glastos (green, blue) from the Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃stós, from *ǵʰelh₃- (green, yellow).
uaine [ˈuənʲə] - green (of painted or dyed items, or bright or lightly-coloured items)
Etymology (uaine): from the Old Irish úanne, possiblly from the Proto-Celtic *utnio-, from the Proto-Indo-European *wed- (wet).
donn [du:n] - brown, brown haired, brunette, tawny, dun
Etymology; from the Old Irish donn (brown, tawny, dun), from the Proto-Celtic *dusnos (brown).
bándearg - pink
oráiste / flannbhuí - orange
liath [ˈlʲiə] - grey, light-blue, grey haired
Etymology: from the Old Irish líath (grey, grey-haired), from the Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos (grey), from the Proto-Indo-European *pel- / *pelH- (pale, grey).
corcra - purple
Etymology: from Old Irish corcur (purple), from Latin purpura (purple)
bánchorca - mauve
bánbhuí - cream
Etymologies from MacBain's An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/
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