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:
More details of liv and words related to Colourful Hues in Celtic languages.
du [dy: / diˑʊ] - black, dark
Etymology: from Proto-Brythonic *duβ (black), from Proto-Celtic *dubus (black), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (black).
More details of words for Black and related things in Celtic languages.
gwynn [gwɪn] - white, fair, blessed
Etymology: from the Proto-Brythonic *gwɨnn (white), from Proto-Celtic *windos (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweytos (bright; shine).
More details of words for White and related things in Celtic languages.
rudh [ry:ð (M); ri:ð (L)] - red
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *rowdos (red), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (red)
More details of words for Red and related things in Celtic languages.
melen - yellow, blonde
Etymology: from Proto-Celtic *melinos, from *meli (honey), from Proto-Indo-European *mélid (honey).
More details of words for Yellow & Gold and related things in Celtic languages.
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”).
More details of Blue / Green / Grey-related words on Celtiadur
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.
More details of words for Green & Verdant and related things in Celtic languages.
gell [gɛl: ] - (light) brown; gorm [gɔrm] - (dark) brown
Etymology (gell): Proto-Celtic *gello- (yellow) or *gelo- (white), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (gleam, yellow)
More details of words for Brown & Dun and related things in Celtic languages.
Etymology (gorm): Proto-Brythonic *gurm (dun, dark, blue), from Proto-Celtic *gurmos (dun, dark, blue).
More details of gorm and other Blue / Black / Dark-related words on Celtiadur
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).
More details of words for Gray and related things in Celtic languages.
glasrudh ['glazrʏð (M); 'glæzrəð (L)]; purpur ['pʏrpʏr (M); 'pərpər (L)] - purple
Etymology: glasrudh = "blue/green-red". Purpur comes from the English purple.
More details of words for Purple in Celtic languages.
arghans ['arhans (M); 'ærhɐnz (L)] - silver, money
Etymology: from Old Cornish argans, from Proto-Celtic *argantom (silver), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erg- (to shine)
More details of words for Silver & Money and related things in Celtic languages.
owr [ɔʊr] - gold
Etymology: from Latin aureus (golden)
More details of words for Yellow & Gold and related things in Celtic languages.
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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