Colour words in Manx

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doo [du] - black, dark, dirty, ink, inky, sable; black-haired, black headed, bold

Etymology: from the Old Irish dub, from the Proto-Celtic *dubu- (black), from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (black).

Expressions

• doo-ghorrym - blue-black
• deyll-ghoo - jet black
• doo-dorraghey - pitch black
• dooagh - inky, melancholic, sombre
• margey doo - black market
• sooill ghoo - black eye
• Yn Vooir Ghoo - The Black Sea
• cur 'sy lioar doo - to blacklist
• ayns doo-gheurey - in the dead/depth of winter

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bane [bɛːn] - white, blank, pallid; fair, blonde; fallow, desolate

Etymology: from the Old Irish bán, from the Proto-Celtic *bānos (white), from the Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (to shine)

Expressions

• bane-ghial - pure white
• gial-vane - sparkling white
• cha gial as sniaghtey - snow-white, as white as snow
• baneaghey - to whiten
• bane-çheh - white hot
• folt bane - fair hair
• Yn Thie Bane - The White House
• laa bane - livelong day
• brattagh bane - white flag / flag of truce.

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jiarg [ʤɚg̊] - red, bloodshot, florid, glowing, gules, live, rouge, ruddy, sanguine, stark; buring; abandoned (land)

Etymology: from the Old Irish derg, from the Proto-Celtic *dergos (red, crimson), from the Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (to dim, darken)

Expressions

• jiarg-lossanagh - flame-red
• jiarg ghlen - squeaky clean
• jiarg ghrooishagh - red-faced
• jiarg neealagh - red-faced, ruddy-complexioned
• kione jiarg - redhead
• jiarg loshtee, jiarg-cheh - burning, red-hot
• rybban jiarg - red tape
• skeddan jiarg - kipper, red herring

ruy = red, ginger, tan, copper-complexioned, red-haired, foxy, sand

Etymology: from the Old Irish rúad, from the Proto-Celtic *rowdo-, from the Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ

Expressions

• dhoan-ruy - chestnut (colour)
• dhone-ruy - bay
• doan ruy - sepia
• doo-ruy - auburn
• ruy-dhone - bronze, dark bay
• ben ruy - redhead
• arran ruy - brown bread
• shugyr ruy - brown sugar
• cabbyl ruy - bay horse
• Yn Vooir Ruy - The Red Sea
• Cha nel mee er n'akin ping ruy ayd foast - I haven't seen the colour of your money yet
• Cha nel ping ruy aym - I haven't a red cent (I'm broke, penniless)

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bwee / buigh [bʷiː] - yellow; fair-headed; jaundiced, sallow, tan; dun

Etymology: from the Old Irish buide (yellow, buttercup, honey), from the Proto-Celtic *bodyos (yellow), from the Proto-Indo-European *badyo- (yellow, brown)

Expressions

• buigh-ghial - bright yellow
• lheeah-wuigh - yellowish
• feer-wuigh - canary yellow
• chiassagh buigh - yellow fever

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gorrym [ˈgɔɾəm] - blue, black, dark-skinned; washing blue

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).

Expressions

• bane-ghorrym - light blue
• gorrym dorraghey - dark blue
• gorrym turcaid - turquoise blue
• gorrym-ghlass - aquamarine, azure, sea-green
• jalloo - gorrym blueprint
• gorrym-hooillagh - blue-eyed
• cabbyl gorrym - dapple grey horse

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glass - green (natural); pale, verdant; unfledged, raw, callow; pasty, sappy, soft (colour), ashen; grey (of animal)

Etymology: 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).

Expressions

• bane-ghlass - pale green, pastel green
• mooir-ghlass - sea-green

geayney [ˈgɛəɲə] - green, greenness, verdant

Expressions

• geayney-ghone - bronze-green
• Cur tooilley geayney stiagh - Put more of the green in

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dhone [dɒun] - brown, brown-haired, hazel, swarthy, dark-skinned

Etymology: from the Old Irish donn (brown, tawny, dun), from the Proto-Celtic *dusnos (brown).

Expressions

• dhone vuigh - biscuit colour
• dhone-ruy - bay
• ruy-dhone - bronze, dark bay
• arran dhone - brown bread
• cabbyl dhone - bay horse
• crackan dhone - bronzed skin

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bane-yiarg - pink, light red ("white/pale red")

Expressions

• bane-jirgid / bane-yiargagh - pinkness
• lheeah-yiarg - pinkish

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jiarg-bwee - orange ("red-yellow")

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lheeah [ˈlˠiə] - grey, grey-haired, grey-headed, hoary, mould, musty, silver, white-haired

Etymology: from Old Irish líath (grey, grey-haired), from the Proto-Celtic *ɸlētos (grey), from the Proto-Indo-European *pel- / *pelH- (pale, grey).

Expressions

• bane-lheeah - light grey
• breck-lheeah / glass-lheeah - greyish
• lheeah-ghlass - light grey, sage-green
• staillin-lheeah - steel-grey
• shenn dooinney lheeah - greybeard

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gorrym-jiarg / jiarg gorrym - purple ("blue-red / red blue")

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