English colors?

Question

Certain colors have been utilized in English to symbolize particular emotions or reactions or flavors. I discovered in Finland that green food color indicates pear. In the USA that color indicates lime or mint or pistachio. The various colors announced by the Bush administration are meant to indicate a rising intensity of alert for terrorist attack. Black, in many countries indicates death but I have heard that white is used in China for this. Also licorice flavor is black.

In the west, white is frequently significant of weddings and vanilla. Brown is obviously chocolate. Green has come to indicate botanical fertility but also jealousy and safety, and also something Irish. Magenta is frequently raspberry flavor while a warmer red indicates strawberry, cherry or danger or flammability and is also associated with St. Valentine's Day. Purple may indicate grape flavor, or injury in the line of duty (the Purple Heart Medal) or radioactivity and combined with yellow is associated with Easter.

Yellow alone is associated with cowardice and also loyalty to the armed services in the form of ribbons. Green and red are Christmas colors. Red and white stripes used to be significant of barber shops and peppermint candy. Are many of these colors specific to English, or are they universal?
Jan Sand

Usenet · Accepted Answer

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[nq:1]Certain colors have been utilized in English to symbolize particular emotions or reactions or flavors. I discovered in Finland that ... Bush administration are meant to indicate a rising intensity of alert for terrorist attack. Black, in many countries indicates death[/nq]
Black can also be thought of as the lack of color. This leads to the concept of a primordial void. It also relates to evil (as in Black Magick). It indicates death; but, more generally, it indicates loss and despair. The stock market crash of October 29, 1929 is called "Black Tuesday."
Gray, the color of ashes, also relates to death. Since older people acquire gray hair, the color also suggests aging. Hebrew tradition relates it to wisdom.
It follows that since black can represent the underworld and evil, white can represent heaven and purity.
[nq:1]but I have heard that white is used in China for this. Also licorice flavor is black. In the west, white is frequently significant of weddings and vanilla. Brown is obviously chocolate.[/nq]
Brown is also the color of the earth, and sometimes represents barrenness and sorrow. On the other hand, the earth can symbolize the great mother and nourishment. However, those concepts are more often represented by the color green. As you've said, green can also represent envy. Why is that?
[nq:1]Green has come to indicate botanical fertility but also jealousy and safety, and also something Irish. Magenta is frequently raspberry ... injury in the line of duty (the Purple Heart Medal) or radioactivity and combined with yellow is associated with Easter.[/nq]
The relationship of purple with injury relates to the color of bruises. Generally, the symbolism of purple is that of red plus blue. Purple often symbolizes truth, justice or royalty.
[nq:1]Yellow alone is associated with cowardice and also loyalty to the armed services in the form of ribbons.[/nq]
Because of the yellow and black color of some insects, yellow is sometimes associated with a warning. Yellow and gold are also associated with the sun, goodness and that which is precious. The golden apple might be a symbol of desire and temptation.

Whereas gold (masculine) represents the sun, silver (feminine) represents the moon. (In almost all ancient religions, there was a sun *** and a moon goddess. The Babylonian religion was a prominent exception.)
[nq:1]Green and red are Christmas colors. Red and white stripes used to be significant of barber shops and peppermint candy.[/nq]
Red also relates to blood. The red and white stripes of the barber's pole represent red blood and white linen bandages. Since red relates to blood, it also relates to war and anger. Also, since blood relates to life itself, (as you've said) red can symbolize love, *** and health, matters of the heart.
[nq:1]Are many of these colors specific to English, or are they universal?[/nq]
As you've pointed out, there are cultural differences. Perhaps some of the symbolism is universal. Maybe that's why red is an emotional color?

Mike Bandy

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I don't think it was mentioned that yellow also represents aging. Mike wrote that yellow is associated with "warning" because of the yellow and black of some insects. That is certainly not a fact, is it? I would think yellow is used as a warning because of it's brightness and flashiness.

Matt

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[nq:1]I don't think it was mentioned that yellow also represents aging. Mike wrote that yellow is associated with "warning" because ... not a fact, is it? I would think yellow is used as a warning because of it's brightness and flashiness.[/nq]
In English literature yellow is associated with aging because of autumn leaves "the sere and yellow leaf".
I'd say you were right about the warning use of yellow: people and insects use it for the same reasons, rather than our having copied it from them.
Mike.

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[nq:1]In English literature yellow is associated with aging because of autumn leaves "the sere and yellow leaf".[/nq]
I'm not so sure. I thought it was due to white things turning yellow over time: walls, paper, fences, cloths, etc. Or perhaps it is due to the yellowing skin color of older people. Are older people yellower than younger? Cowards!

Matt

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[nq:1]Black, in many countries indicates death but I have heard that white is used in China for this.[/nq]
This is just part of a wider picture. Take a look, for example, at the colours of the belts used in the martial arts such as judo. A white belt indicates the lowest level of achievement. As you get better and better, you become entitled to darker-coloured belts. The very best players eventually get black, the best colour of all. (There are levels beyond that, but for those the belt colour remains black. The real masters need no external sign to show their level.)
The sequence of colours is almost the opposite of what we would have had if that game had evolved in an English-speaking country.

Peter Moylan (Email Removed) http://eepjm.newcastle.edu.au (OS/2 and eCS information and software)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]In English literature yellow is associated with aging because of autumn leaves "the sere and yellow leaf".[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm not so sure. I thought it was due to white things turning yellow over time: walls, paper, fences, cloths, etc. Or perhaps it is due to the yellowing skin color of older people. Are older people yellower than younger? Cowards![/nq]
"the sere and yellow leaf" is a reference to human aging. The trope need not exclude the darkening or yellowing noticeable in parchment and vellum and other white or cream-coloured things, of course.

The likening of the human lifespan to the progression of the seasons is commonplace, no?
Mike.

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[nq:1]Certain colors have been utilized in English to symbolize particular emotions or reactions or flavors. I discovered in Finland that ... be significant of barber shops and peppermint candy. Are many of these colors specific to English, or are they universal?[/nq]
There are some differences in Japanese. Green has nothing to do with jealousy. The image of green here is too healthy, fresh, or young for it. There's no particular color for indicating jealousy, but if I have to connect it with some color, I would probably choose red or black. And as for "safety", I think blue is more likely here than green. Yellow is not associated with cowardice, though it might indicate unhealthiness. Purple is a noble color. Red and white stripes are used for festivities.

Nobuko Iwasaki

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