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ETYMOLOGY OF COLORISTIC IDIOMS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE
(RED, BLACK, WHITE, GREEN AND BLUE)
Ame o a A zigul Ganibae na
PhD s uden -Nukus S a e Pedagogical
Ins i u e named a e Ajiniyaz
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17704553
Abs ac . This pape in es iga es he e ymological ounda ions and seman ic e olu ion o colo is ic
idioms in he English language. Colo e ms a e among he oldes and mos symbolically loaded
elemen s o ocabula y, e lec ing human pe cep ion, cul u al associa ions, and his o ical de elopmen
o language. The s udy explo es he o igin, me apho ical meaning, and cul u al signi icance o idioms
ha include colo adjec i es such as ed, black, whi e, g een, and blue. By examining hei e ymological
oo s, he esea ch aims o e eal how colo -based exp essions ha e de eloped om li e al o igu a i e
meanings ac oss di e en his o ical pe iods o English.
Keywo ds: colo idioms, e ymology, seman ic change, me apho , English language, colo
symbolism.
Аннотация. В данной работе исследуются этимологические основы и семантическая
эволюция колористических идиом в английском языке. Цветовые термины являются одними из
древнейших и наиболее символически нагруженных элементов лексики, отражающими
восприятие человека, культурные ассоциации и историческое развитие языка. Исследование
исследует происхождение, метафорическое значение и культурное значение идиом,
содержащих цветовые прилагательные, такие как красный, черный, белый, зеленый и синий.
Исследуя их этимологические корни, цель исследования - выявить, как цветные выражения
развивались от буквальных значений к переносным значениям в разные исторические периоды
английского языка.
Ключевые слова: цветовые идиомы, этимология, семантическое изменение, метафора,
английский язык, цветовая символика.
Anno aciya. Bul jumıs a inglis ilindegi kolo is ikalıq azeologizmle diń e imologiyalıq iyka la ı
hám seman ikalıq e olyuciyası úy eniledi. Reń a amala ı sózlik qu amınıń eń eski hám sim olikalıq
júklengen elemen le inen bolıp, insan sezimi, mádeniy associaciyala hám ildiń a iyxıy awajlanıwın
sáwlelendi edi. Ize lewde qızıl, qa a, aq, jasıl hám kók sıyaqlı eń sıpa lamala ın óz ishine alǵan
azeologizmle diń kelip shıǵıwı, me a o alıq mánisi hám mádeniy áhmiye i úy eniledi. Ize lewde
ola dıń e imologiyalıq amı la ın úy eniw a qalı inglis iliniń há qıylı a iyxıy dáwi le inde eńge
iyka lanǵan sóz dizbekle iniń dás ú iy mánile den awıspalı mánile ge qa ay qalayınsha
awajlanǵanlıǵın ashıp be iw maqse e ilgen.
Tayanısh sózle : eńli idiomala , e imologiya, mánilik ózge is, me a o a, inglis ili, eń
sim olikası.
INTRODUCTION
Ac ually, language is no me ely a means o communica ion bu also a e lec ion o
he cul u al and his o ical expe iences o i s speake s. Among he mos i id linguis ic
phenomena a e colo is ic idioms, exp essions ha inco po a e colo e ms and con ey
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me apho ical o symbolic meanings. Thus, he s udy o colo idioms occupies a cen al
place in linguis ics, pa icula ly in lexicology, cogni i e linguis ics, and cul u al
linguis ics, since colo wo ds o en e eal how a gi en cul u e ca ego izes and in e p e s
eali y [Wie zbicka, 1996: 122].
In ac , he English language, wi h i s long his o y o con ac wi h o he linguis ic
sys ems—La in, F ench, No se, and Cel ic—con ains a ich laye o colo -based idioms.
These idioms se e as linguis ic wi nesses o he social and psychological de elopmen
o he na ion. Mo eo e , unde s anding hei e ymology p o ides insigh no only in o he
e olu ion o English ocabula y bu also in o he men ali y and wo ld iew o i s speake s
[Lako , 1987: 56].
The objec i e o his pape is o analyze he e ymological o igins o colo is ic idioms
in English, ocusing on how hei li e al meanings ha e unde gone seman ic
ans o ma ions leading o me apho ical o idioma ic exp essions.
Theo e ical Backg ound
As a ma e o ac , he e m e ymology e e s o he his o ical s udy o wo d o igins
and hei seman ic de elopmen . Acco ding o he Ox o d English Dic iona y, e ymology
aims o “ ace he his o y o a wo d om i s ea lies eco ded o m and meaning” [OED,
2010: 34]. In he ield o idioma ic exp essions, e ymology o en explains why ce ain
combina ions o wo ds became ixed and how hei igu a i e meanings di e ged om
li e al ones.
Colo wo ds a e among he ea lies lexical ca ego ies in all languages. Be lin and
Kay, in hei classical s udy Basic Colo Te ms: Thei Uni e sali y and E olu ion,
demons a ed ha colo e ms eme ge in a uni e sal o de , s a ing om black and whi e
and g adually expanding o include ed, g een, yellow, blue, and o he s [Be lin & Kay,
1969: 8].
In English, colo e ms o igina e om a ious linguis ic sou ces:
-Old English con ibu ed black, whi e, ed, g een, blue;
-F ench in luence a e he No man Conques in oduced blonde, iole , sca le ;
-La in bo owings en iched he lexicon wi h azu e, c imson, and pu pu e.
The symbolic meanings o colo s, howe e , we e shaped by cul u al and eligious
adi ions. Fo example, whi e symbolizes pu i y in Ch is iani y, black deno es mou ning,
and ed ep esen s passion o dange [Tu ne , 2005: 147]. When hese symbolic meanings
en e ed idioms, hey became ehicles o me apho ical hough [Kö ecses, 2010: 112].
E ymological Analysis o Selec ed Colo is ic Idioms
1. Idioms wi h “Red”
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Ini ially, he wo d ed de i es om Old English ēad, P o o-Ge manic au haz, and
ul ima ely om P o o-Indo-Eu opean eudh- meaning “ uddy” o “blood-colo ed”
[Ha pe , 2020: 1].
Fu he mo e, idioms such as ed ape (meaning bu eauc a ic delay) da e back o he
16 h cen u y when o icial documen s we e ied wi h ed ibbons in B i ish o ices
[Simpson & Weine , 1989: 238]. Simila ly, o see ed—meaning “ o become ang y”—
o igina ed in he 19 h cen u y, p obably om he bull igh ing con ex , whe e ed capes
we e associa ed wi h agg ession [Ay o, 2010: 286].
The idiom in he ed, meaning “in deb ,” o igina es om accoun ing p ac ice: losses
we e eco ded in ed ink, while p o i s we e w i en in black [Spea s, 1998: 96]. Thus, ed
in English idioms equen ly con eys no ions o emo ion, dange , and loss.
2. Idioms wi h “Black”
The colo black comes om Old English blæc, meaning “da k” o “wi hou ligh ,”
linked o P o o-Ge manic blakaz [Ha pe , 2020: 3]. Cul u ally, black has long symbolized
e il, dea h, and mis o une, which is e lec ed in idioms like black sheep (an ou cas ) and
black ma ke (illegal ade). The idiom blackmail (o iginally “p o ec ion money” paid o
bo de aide s in Sco land) de i es om mail meaning “ en ” o “ ibu e” in Old No se
[Pa idge, 1961: 74].
Simila ly, blacklis appea ed in he 17 h cen u y, e e ing o a lis o people o be
punished o excluded. The associa ion o black wi h nega i i y shows how mo al and
emo ional e alua ion in luences he e olu ion o idioma ic meanings.
3. Idioms wi h “Whi e”
Whi e o igina es om Old English hwī , P o o-Ge manic hwī az, and PIE kwei- os
meaning “ o shine” [Ha pe , 2020: 5]. I has adi ionally been associa ed wi h pu i y,
innocence, and goodness. The idiom whi e lie (a ha mless o mino lie) appea ed in he
18 h cen u y and e lec s he e hical ambi alence o human communica ion [Ay o, 2010:
497].
Whi e-colla (o ice wo ke s) and blue-colla (manual labo e s) idioms eme ged in
he ea ly 20 h cen u y, ma king class dis inc ions in indus ial socie ies [Simpson &
Weine , 1989: 336].
Thus, he e ymology o whi e idioms e eals seman ic ex ensions om physical
b igh ness o mo al and social alues.
4. Idioms wi h “G een”
G een comes om Old English g ēne, om P o o-Ge manic g ōni, meaning “ o
g ow” [Ha pe , 2020: 7]. I is associa ed wi h you h, eshness, and inexpe ience. The
idiom g eenho n (an inexpe ienced pe son) o iginally e e ed o young animals wi h
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newly g own ho ns. The exp ession g een wi h en y da es o Shakespea ean imes, when
he colo g een symbolized jealousy [Shakespea e, 1603: Ac III, Sc. 3].
The wo d’s ag icul u al and na u al o igin in luences idioms like he g ass is always
g eene on he o he side, illus a ing me apho ical ans e om na u e o human
psychology.
5. Idioms wi h “Blue”
The colo blue en e ed English om Old F ench bleu, meaning “sky-colo ed,” and
om P o o-Ge manic blaewaz [Ha pe , 2020: 9]. Blue blood o igina es om Spanish
sang e azul, e e ing o noble amilies whose pale skin showed blue eins [Spea s, 1998:
188].
The idiom eeling blue (sad) i s appea ed in he 18 h cen u y, connec ed o he
na al adi ion o lying blue lags when a cap ain died du ing a oyage [Ay o, 2010: 88].
Hence, blue idioms e lec bo h social hie a chy and emo ional s a es.
DISSCUSSION
The e ymological s udy o colo is ic idioms demons a es how he meanings o
colo s e ol e h ough me apho iza ion and cul u al ein e p e a ion. Colo s o iginally
deno ed pe cep ual ca ego ies bu g adually became symbols o emo ions, mo ali y, and
social s a us [Kö ecses, 2010: 114].
English idioms show a s ong endency o ans e colo associa ions om physical
o abs ac domains. The p ocess o seman ic ex ension o en in ol es:
1) Me apho iza ion (e.g., see ed → “ge ang y”);
2) Me onymy (e.g., ed ape → “bu eauc acy”);
3) Cul u al bo owing (e.g., blue blood → om Spanish nobili y);
4) His o ical symbolism (e.g., black sheep → mo al exclusion).
This in e play o e ymology and cul u al cogni ion con i ms ha idioms a e no
a bi a y bu g ounded in sha ed human expe ience and collec i e symbolism [Gibbs,
1994: 217].
CONCLUSION
The e ymological analysis o colo is ic idioms e eals deep in e connec ions
be ween language, cogni ion, and cul u e. The colo lexicon o English has de eloped
unde he in luence o Indo-Eu opean oo s, o eign bo owings, and sociocul u al
e olu ion. Th ough cen u ies o me apho ical ein e p e a ion, colo idioms ha e become
in eg al elemen s o he linguis ic wo ld iew, encoding a i udes owa d mo ali y,
emo ion, and social iden i y.
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The s udy con i ms ha e ymological in es iga ion o idioms con ibu es no only o
unde s anding he his o ical de elopmen o English ocabula y bu also o unco e ing
he concep ual and cul u al ounda ions o human hough .
Re e ences
1. Ay o, John. Ox o d Dic iona y o English Idioms. – Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2010.
2. Be lin, B en & Kay, Paul. Basic Colo Te ms: Thei Uni e sali y and E olu ion. – Uni e si y o
Cali o nia P ess, 1969.
3. Gibbs, Raymond W. The Poe ics o Mind: Figu a i e Though , Language, and Unde s anding. –
Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 1994.
4. Ha pe , Douglas. Online E ymology Dic iona y. – e ymonline.com, 2020.
5. Kö ecses, Zol án. Me apho : A P ac ical In oduc ion. – Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2010.
6. Lako , Geo ge. Women, Fi e, and Dange ous Things. – Uni e si y o Chicago P ess, 1987.
7. Pa idge, E ic. O igins: A Sho E ymological Dic iona y o Mode n English. – Rou ledge, 1961.
8. Simpson, John & Weine , Edmund. The Ox o d English Dic iona y. – Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1989.
9. Tu ne , Ma k. The Li e a y Mind. – Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2005.
10. Wie zbicka, Anna. Seman ics: P imes and Uni e sals. – Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1996.
