Etymology of Fourteen Japanese Words for Colors90

The Japanese language has a rich and varied vocabulary for colors, with many words having specific shades or associations. Some of these words have been borrowed from other languages, such as Chinese and English, while others have been created within the Japanese language itself.

Here is a look at the etymology of fourteen common Japanese words for colors:

1. 赤 (aka) - red

The word "aka" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "aka", which meant "bright" or "shining". The character 赤 is also used to represent the color red in Chinese.

2. 青 (ao) - blue

The word "ao" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "ao", which meant "green". However, over time, the meaning of the word "ao" shifted to refer to the color blue. The character 青 is also used to represent the color blue in Chinese.

3. 黄 (ki) - yellow

The word "ki" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "ki", which meant "yellow". The character 黄 is also used to represent the color yellow in Chinese.

4. 黒 (kuro) - black

The word "kuro" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "kuro", which meant "black". The character 黒 is also used to represent the color black in Chinese.

5. 白 (shiro) - white

The word "shiro" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "shiro", which meant "white". The character 白 is also used to represent the color white in Chinese.

6. 紫 (murasaki) - purple

The word "murasaki" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "murasaki", which meant "purple". The character 紫 is also used to represent the color purple in Chinese.

7. 緑 (midori) - green

The word "midori" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "midori", which meant "green". The character 緑 is also used to represent the color green in Chinese.

8. 茶 (cha) - brown

The word "cha" is thought to have originated from the Old Japanese word "cha", which meant "tea". The character 茶 is also used to represent the color brown in Chinese.

9. 橙 (orenji) - orange

The word "orenji" is a loanword from the English word "orange". The character 橙 is also used to represent the color orange in Chinese.

10. 桃色 (momoiro) - pink

The word "momoiro" is thought to have originated from the Japanese word "momo", which means "peach". The character 桃 is also used to represent the color pink in Chinese.

11. 水色 (mizuiro) - light blue

The word "mizuiro" is thought to have originated from the Japanese word "mizu", which means "water". The character 水 is also used to represent the color light blue in Chinese.

12. 銀色 (giniro) - silver

The word "giniro" is thought to have originated from the Japanese word "gin", which means "silver". The character 銀 is also used to represent the color silver in Chinese.

13. 金色 (kin'iro) - gold

The word "kin'iro" is thought to have originated from the Japanese word "kin", which means "gold". The character 金 is also used to represent the color gold in Chinese.

14. 虹色 (niji'iro) - rainbow

The word "niji'iro" is thought to have originated from the Japanese word "niji", which means "rainbow". The character 虹 is also used to represent the color rainbow in Chinese.

2025-02-08

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