05-30-2011, 10:35 AM
Truly, diffrent cultures "see" colors differently - my "sea blue" can be your "green".
I'm Pole and honestly there is no real diffrence between "niebieski" and "granatowy". "Niebieski" = blue, "granatowy" = navy. BUT, I'd like to show in example something very interesing: how Poles probably percieved color "blue" hundred years ago and how they percieve it now.
In Polish language colours are often adjectives derivated from nouns. And color BLUE can be in MODERN Polish can be descibed using following words:
- "niebieski", which means "like sky" because "niebo" means "sky"
- "morski", which means "like sea" because "morze" means "sea"
- "lazurowy" which comes French language
- "granatowy", which means "like pomegranate" (fruit) or "like garnet" (mineral)
- "modry"
- "blekit"
Now, look at something very peculiar regarding "granatowy". It means "blue" BUT neither pomegranate nor garnet is blue! Actually, they're kind of dark red or violet! There is also another word in Polish with similar peculiarity - "modry". It also means blue. You can say "modre oczy" which menas "blue eyes". BUT there is "modra kapusta" which is specially prepared red cabbage which changes color to dark red or dark purple. Which is why in many countries it is called both "red cabbage" and "blue cabbage"!
What I am trying to say is that nowadays we have very well defined colors while some hundred years ago this might not be so. Therefore, if Revelation was written in Polish and word in question was not "chloros" but "granatowy" and you would try linguistically to guess what color it describes then you would have never guessed correctly.
And about that "pale" and "green". It is perfectly understood for me that in some language those "colors" can be named with one word. The most basic color classification which is also found in all primitive cultures is that:
- "green" as colour of immature fruits and vegetables (so this could also be pale, yellow)
- "red" as colour of mature fruit and of blood (life!)
- "all other" as all other colours :-)
This is preserved in modern languages in some constructs: you can say "face suddenly became pale" or you can sey "his face turned gray" or "turned green". This is all effect of how people percieve colors. And this is why some English bibles translate "cholors" as "gray".
Quote:The range of this color encompasses two Polish words: "niebieski" and "granatowy". I distinctly remember a conversation when I was in Poland and I mentioned that something was "niebieski" and they looked at me like I was out of my mind, and responded "No, it's not niebieski, it's granatowy!" I still don't really know the difference between the two.
I'm Pole and honestly there is no real diffrence between "niebieski" and "granatowy". "Niebieski" = blue, "granatowy" = navy. BUT, I'd like to show in example something very interesing: how Poles probably percieved color "blue" hundred years ago and how they percieve it now.
In Polish language colours are often adjectives derivated from nouns. And color BLUE can be in MODERN Polish can be descibed using following words:
- "niebieski", which means "like sky" because "niebo" means "sky"
- "morski", which means "like sea" because "morze" means "sea"
- "lazurowy" which comes French language
- "granatowy", which means "like pomegranate" (fruit) or "like garnet" (mineral)
- "modry"
- "blekit"
Now, look at something very peculiar regarding "granatowy". It means "blue" BUT neither pomegranate nor garnet is blue! Actually, they're kind of dark red or violet! There is also another word in Polish with similar peculiarity - "modry". It also means blue. You can say "modre oczy" which menas "blue eyes". BUT there is "modra kapusta" which is specially prepared red cabbage which changes color to dark red or dark purple. Which is why in many countries it is called both "red cabbage" and "blue cabbage"!
What I am trying to say is that nowadays we have very well defined colors while some hundred years ago this might not be so. Therefore, if Revelation was written in Polish and word in question was not "chloros" but "granatowy" and you would try linguistically to guess what color it describes then you would have never guessed correctly.
And about that "pale" and "green". It is perfectly understood for me that in some language those "colors" can be named with one word. The most basic color classification which is also found in all primitive cultures is that:
- "green" as colour of immature fruits and vegetables (so this could also be pale, yellow)
- "red" as colour of mature fruit and of blood (life!)
- "all other" as all other colours :-)
This is preserved in modern languages in some constructs: you can say "face suddenly became pale" or you can sey "his face turned gray" or "turned green". This is all effect of how people percieve colors. And this is why some English bibles translate "cholors" as "gray".