On a new systematic Arrangement of Colours. 329 
lour of the sun’s rays. In this sense, it has the same 
real import as yellow. The Anglo-Saxon word is 
pead. The Latin rubere, whence ruber and rufer, 
was sometimes used simply for splendescere, to shine. 
BLveE. This word seems to come from blopan, florere, to 
blow as a flower does, and signifies the colour of 
flowers; certainly the most indefinite of all our names 
for colours. 
I next proceed to the compounds ; and first the bi- 
naries. 
Gren is derived from the Anglo-Saxon verb zepenman or 
zpenmian, virescere. In like manner the Latin virere 
gave the adjective viridis. 
PurpPLe. This word, commonly used in modern times 
for the mixture of red and blue, is derived from the 
Latin purpureus; and signifies only flame-coloured, 
from zip, fire. The word is variously applied by the 
Romans to substances differing essentially in colour: 
They used also many other indefinite words for this 
kind of colour, as ostreus, phoenicius (i.e. color pal- 
mule) &c. Certain varieties of this binary are ex- 
pressed by the words crimson, pink, lake, &c. 
Oranee. We haveno name for this third binary, but such 
as has reference to the colours of specific bodies, as 
orange; or such as represent the compound, as yeé- 
lowish red. 
The ternary only remains to be spoken of, and 
Brown is a corruption of the past participle of the Anglo- 
Saxon verb bpennan, urere, to burn; and signifies the 
colour of burnt substances; having etymologically no 
distinction between it and ash colour. In like man- 
ner the Latin fuscus comes from guoxew, ustulare, as 
noticed by Tooke; and has the same real meaning, 
as well as the same application, as brown. Query, 
Whence come fulvus and aquilus ? 
Wuire comes from OAWGAN spumare. 
Our word Gray is derived from zepegnian, inficere, mean- 
ing the colour of tainted, infused, or damaged arti- 
cles, and is most properly used when applied to mre 
tures, which appear as if tainted or tinged with foreign 
colours, as the salt and pepper mixtures, &c. 
The dilutions of yellow by white are called straw colour. 
Brack has probably the same root as d/eak, perhaps from 
blecan, and signifies deprived of colour; and the 
binary carroty and sandy ; together with olive, vermi- 
lion, violet, rose-colour, lilac, cherry-colour, horn- 
colour, 
