Color Names. 
9 
ored space designated as no. 2 ; and in tone between the 
full color (middle horizontal line) and tint b. Its desig¬ 
nation, therefore, is 2a. Exactly the same method 
applies to any of the other blank spaces, as well as to 
the colors themselves, except that in case of the broken 
colors the “primes” (', ", or are to be affixed 
to the hue number. First locate the hue , designated by 
number, then the tone , designated by lower case letter, 
the full, pure colors of the middle horizontal row being 
designated by number alone. 
Color Names. —While it is true that the naming 
of colors as usually employed has so little to do with the 
purely technical aspects of chromatology or color-physics 
that, as Von Bezold remarks* “we are in reality dealing 
with the peculiarities of language,” it is equally true that 
a collection of color standards designed expressly for the 
purpose of identifying and designating particular colors 
can best attain this object by the use of a carefully 
selected nomenclature. In other words, the prime ne¬ 
cessity is to standardize both colors and color names, by 
elimination of the element of “personal equation” in the 
matter. In no other way can agreement be reached as 
to the distinction between “violet” and “purple,” two 
color names quite generally used interchangeably or 
synonymously but in reality belonging to quite distinct 
hues, or that any other color name can be definitely 
fixed. Various methods of handling the matter of color 
in zoological and botanical descriptions, etc., by the 
avoidance of color names and substitution therefor of 
symbols, numerals, or mechanical contrivances (as color- 
wheel and spectrum analyses, color-spheres, etc.) have 
been devised but all have been found impracticable or 
unsatisfactory. The author has taken the trouble to get 
an expression of opinion in this matter from many 
*The Theory of Color (American edition, 1876), p. 99. 
