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Grape comes from Middle English and was first recorded in the early 1200s. Because of the appearance of the fruit, grape has also come to mean “a dull, dark purplish-red color.” When something is grape, it has the flat, muted shade we associate with grapes, and it may range from a very deep purple to one with shades of pink or red. If you asked someone to name something purple, a grape would probably come to mind. The word has been in use in English since before the year 1500. Periwinkle is a common color used on furniture or clothing. Periwinkle means “a blue-violet color,” and it’s associated with myrtle, a trailing plant with evergreen foliage and blue-violet flowers. Is it blue or is it purple? If it’s periwinkle, it must be somewhere in between. Amaranth comes from the Latin amarantus, an alteration of the Greek amáranton, meaning “unfading flower.” periwinkle Amaranthine is the color of amaranth, a flowering plant known for its striking foliage or flower clusters. If you’re describing a red wine or something else that’s “of purplish-red color,” consider amaranthine. Learn more about the stone amethyst and other birthstones that make every month sparkle. Though the word has been in use in English since the mid-1200s, it has roots in the Greek améthystos, meaning “not intoxicating, not intoxicated.” This is because it was once believed the stone amethyst could prevent intoxication. Amethyst is “a purplish tint,” consistent with the purple or violet color of a type of quartz that shares the same name. But why was the town called Magenta? The town’s name may trace back to the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, who is believed to have had a headquarters there. The color was named for this battle site, as the famous fight took place shortly before magenta dye was discovered. Magenta is a “purplish red.” It’s also the name of a town in Italy where the French and Sardinians defeated Austrian troops in 1859. Violaceous is related to violet and was first recorded in English in the mid-1600s. Is it purple or is it violaceous? This adjective means “of a violet color bluish-purple.” It’s a perfect descriptor for anything with purplish hues, from fruit to flowers to the looming mountains in the distance. It can be traced to the Greek proúmnē, or “plum tree,” and it has been in use in English since at least the 900s. In this case, it’s the fruit that grows on plum trees. Plum is “a deep purple varying from bluish to reddish.” Like many words on the list, plum gets its name from something in nature. If you need a darker shade of purple, plum will do. First recorded in the early 1600s, the word lilac comes from the Persian līlak, meaning “bluish.” plum This pale violet color is at home in a spring scene or even in the color palette of a sunrise. The color is named for the purplish flowers that grow on the shrub of the same name. Lilac is a “pale, reddish purple” that might call to mind a stroll through a garden. Here are 15 unique and vibrant words you can use when talking about the color purple. Shades of purple can be found on everything from fruit to plants to wild animals. There are so many different colors that fall under the vast umbrella of purple, so when you’re writing or talking about something in the shade, it’s helpful to be a bit more specific. When you hear the word purple, what pops into your head? Chances are it’s one of a huge number of different shades, ranging from pale lavender to deep burgundy.
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