On the Color- l^ocabiilary of CJdIdren. 5 



no such difficulty in stating approximately the size or shape of 

 the object. The cause of uncertainty doubtless lies in the 

 nature of our memory for color.^ It is probable that the re- 

 productions of color-sensations do not correspond exactly, 

 even in quality, to the original impressions. 



The sense of sight, perhaps, has developed a larger vocab- 

 ulary than any other sense. Its words, too, have advanced 

 farthest on the way from adjectives to substantives. The 

 number of color-terms in modern languages is surprisingly 

 large. French is said to have more than six hundred. Giin- 

 ther Wagner advertises about two hundred pigments in water 

 colors, most of which have individual names (German). In- 

 cluding technical terms, the English language doubtless con- 

 tains more than three hundred words denoting color ; though 

 the dictionaries do not contain half that number. Thirteen 

 members of the senior class (1889) of the University of 

 Nebraska wrote an average of twenty-six color names in five 

 miimtes without previous thought on the subject. ^ In these 

 lists, written on the spur of the moment, there appeared 

 ninety different names, about half of which are in common 

 use. Most of the remainder were names of pigments. It 

 may be confidently stated, I think, that an educated person 

 possesses a color-vocabulary of at least twenty-five terms. ^ 



There seems little doubt that the practice of naming sensa- 

 tions or objects tends to increase the power of discrimination. 

 It must not be inferred from this, however, that paucity of 

 names indicates more than an indistinctness of perception in 

 regard to the finer differences. One would not conclude that 

 a person is unable to distinguish geometrical figures, because 

 he is ignorant of their names. It is also evident that delicacy 

 of discrimination is not the only cause of the multiplication of 



^ As far as I am aware, no experiments on memory for colors have been de- 

 scribed. If I am enabled to continue such a series already begun, a contribution 

 to this question will soon be offered. 



2 Neither colors nor names had received even incidental attention at our 

 meetings, and until the test began none knew what was required. 



^ It will not be understood that these terms usually represent as many clear 

 ideas of color-differences. 



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