Etymology relevant to orange colouration in animals

Origin of word 'orange' in English, according to Harper D, Online Etymology Dictionary (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_Etymology_Dictionary):

through Old French 'orenge', Italian 'arancia', and Medieval Latin 'orenge'

alternatively/in parallel, from Arabic 'naranj', via Persian 'narang' (meaning an orange tree), and Sanskrit 'naranga-s' (also meaning an orange tree), derived from a proto-Davidian root

Relevant words in Latin:

Noun: orange = arancium (plural -cii)

orange drink = aranciata (plural - ae)

orange tree = aurantium (plural -ii)

orange-coloured = aurantiacus/um/a

gold (noun and adjective) = aurum (plural -i)

gold coin = aureus (plural -ei)

golden-coloured = aureus/um/a

Examples of 'aurantiacus/um/a' in scientific names:

Anthreptes aurantium
Caladenia aurantiaca
Callosamia aurantiaca
Caloplaca aurantiaca
Caloptilia aurantiaca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caloptilia_aurantiaca
Canna aurantiaca
Carnage aurantiaca
Catocala aurantiaca
Cattleya aurantiaca
Chloroflexus aurantiacus
Chrysomphalina aurantiaca
Citrus aurantium
Coenyra aurantiaca
Coccinea aurantiaca
Cronia aurantiaca
Curcuma aurantiaca
Cypraea aurantium
Diplacus aurantiacus
Halitosis pourtalesii aurantium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliotis_pourtalesii_aurantium
Hieracium aurantiacum
Hydnellum aurantiacum
Leccinum aurantiacum
Mimulus aurantiacus
Ossiculum aurantiacum
Scedosporium aurantiacum
Thelocactus conothelos aurantiacus

EXAMPLES OF 'RUFUS' (https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-scientific-nomenclature-ruf-tz2o1mqdS.S9s87eyR8jXA) IN NOMENCLATURE OF MAMMALS AND BIRDS

Mammals:
Aplodontia rufa
Canis rufus
Lynx rufus
Macropus/Osphranter rufus https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kangaroo
Microcebus rufus
Stenoderma rufum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fruit_bat

Birds:
Alectoris rufa
Anhinga rufa
Calidris canutus rufa
Conirostrum rufum
Furnarius rufus
Phylidor rufum
Sarothrura rufa
Selasphorus rufus
Toxostoma rufum

Posted on 30 August, 2024 22:10 by milewski milewski

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English words derived from Sanskrit:

atoll
Aryan
bandana
crimson
cot
cheetah
dinghy
jackal
juggernaut
jungle
lacquer
lilac
loot
musk
opal
orange
rice
saccharine
sandal
sapphire
shampoo
sulphur
sugar
swastika
thug
yoga
zen

mother/matar
father/pitar
brother/bhratar
sister/svasar
son/sunu
daughter/duhitar
man/manav
dental/dantam
nose/nas
cow/gauch
etc.
etc.
etc.

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

Among Australian birds, the following have orange in the vernacular name:

orange chat (Ephthianura aurifrons)
orange-bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) described as 'bright orange'

Among Australian birds, the following have orange in their colouration:

Lonchura castaneothorax
Poephila guttata
Pardalotus punctatus
Ephthianura aurifrons
Acanthorhynchus superciliosus
Acanthiza uropygialis
Sericornis spp.
Malurus pulcherrimus and spp.
Cinclorhamphus mathewsi
Cisticola exilis
Rhipidura rufifrons 'orange-rufous'
Myiagra alecto and cyanoleuca
Symposiachrus trivirgatus 'orange-rufous'
Cecropis ariel
Merops ornatus
Tanysiptera sylvia
Syma torotoro 'orange'
Cuculus castaneiventris
Neophema splendida 'orange-yellow'
Platycercus eximius and elegans
Glossopsitta porphyrocephala
Trichoglossus haematodus 'yellow-orange'
Ptilinopus superbus
Phalaropus lobatus
Rallina tricolor (red-necked rail)

Descriptors used for Australian birds:
'bright red-chestnut'
'bright fox-red'
'golden buff'
'bright rufous'
'rich chestnut'
'rust-coloured'
'rich rufous-ochre'
'red-brown'
'rufous-red'

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

aurantiacus/um/a - you can type those in iNat search bar, there seems to be some like https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/711103-Pilosella-aurantiaca and https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/63538-Hygrophoropsis-aurantiaca

Posted by marina_gorbunova about 1 month ago

@marina_gorbunova

Many thanks for your help.

Have you seen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2KGnqn-x60&t=117s ?

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

SANSKRIT

orange colour = kesaravarNaH

orange fruit = naaraNgaphalamh or Narangphalam or naarangaphalamh

orange tree = naranga (which, remarkably, also means 'eruption on the face')

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

According to PERSEUS dictionary (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/resolveform?redirect=true), ancient Greek possessed words for the following:

redden (verb)
not painted red
blush
blood-red
looking like blood
bloody
dyed red
red-hot
bright red
shot with red
reddish/tinged with red
redness

According to Perseus, there are indeed words for 'of orange colour' as well as 'orange-tawny' in ancient Greek. However, words referring to orange colour are fewer than those referring to red.

Also see https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-ancient-greek-is-there-a-wo-MGYXU99NQ8C4wy9.Vw_VNA

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

Shakespeare's 'Much ado about nothing' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing) contains the word 'orange'.

MA IV. i. 30 (written in 1598):
"Give not this rotten orange to your friend."

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

In Russian there're quite a few vertebrates with "orange", although there're much more with native word "рыжий" which is a bright brown-red, like a fox, which has it in its name btw

Posted by marina_gorbunova about 1 month ago

@marina_gorbunova

Humans imbue various colours with various non-biological meanings (https://eriksen.com/marketing/color_culture/#:~:text=In%20Western%20countries%2C%20red%20evokes,traditionally%20wear%20red%20wedding%20dresses).).

However, this variation is cultural/psychological, not programmed instinctually/genetically. I.e. cultural perceptions of hues result from variations in human 'software', not 'hardware'.

The Western cultural attitude to the orange hue is that this colour is 'negative' in the sense that it cannot be taken seriously. It is perceived as clownish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clownfish), garish, or hyperbolic, i.e. not 'respectable' (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Orange_Man_bad).

Even when describing autumn colours (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn_leaf_color), 'orange' tends to be downplayed (https://www.perplexity.ai/search/autumn-colours-include-orange-nmO_YspeQkCgqB3bJNTG.Q).

This contrasts with various positive cultural attitudes in East and southern Asia, in which the orange hue is taken seriously, e.g. with sacred connotations (https://lost-abroad.com/why-monks-wear-orange-robes/).

Given this contrast, what is the Russian cultural attitude to the orange hue?

Posted by milewski about 1 month ago

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