#tawny

[splashtqil]

[mourninglamby]

fun fun fun

[tearzah]

[classicalshorts]

Yellow Varieties

Welcome to this the sixth entry in Cool Colours. Yellow is wonderful and represents rather a unique case in this series' exploration. To look at the word at first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking that our word yellow has no links to Latin whatsoever. You would be both right and wrong, however. There is a link and a rather neat and unusual one. The word yellow is more closely connected to German 'gelb'. But it doesn't look like that either, you say. So, here is a brief glimpse at this lovely colour name's history. It stems primarily from the early German word 'gelwaz', to which the Italian 'giallo' is also related. Both stem ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European (henceforth PIE) word 'ghel-' which meant 'to shine'. Now PIE, is now widely believed to have been an early, now extinct language, from which most European languages and Sanskrit were all born. Now, here comes the Latin link. Latin is also descended from PIE and its word for pale yellow, helvus, comes from the same parent stem as German 'gelb'. So, it is linked to the word, it is just a relative that evolved slightly differently. Also, if you read the Latin helvus, pronouncing the 'v' as a 'w' (as many argue it should be) the connection with our 'yellow' becomes clearer.

Our trip through the colour yellow does not stop there. I have three further Classical terms for yellow for you that bequeathed us words in English. Let us start with Latin.

Have you ever read that you should get more of the vitamin Riboflavin (B2) in your diet? Well, the 'flavin' part of the word comes from the Latin flavus, meaning 'yellow', often a golden or reddish shade of yellow. 'What's a vitamin got to do with 'yellow'?' ,you ask. Well, the flavins are a group of organic compounds, from which Riboflavin is derived, and their colour is, you've got it, YELLOW. They are very important to life. So green might be life, but it appears yellow is, too.

Could your hair be described as 'fulvous'? No, it does not mean it is voluminous (full-vous, get it? Never mind). Again, this rather old-fashioned and probably forgotten word comes from another Latin word for 'yellow', this time fulvus, which denotes a brownish, tawny yellow. It was often used to describe lions.

Lastly, can I ask you if your daffodils betray a xanthic hue? So, we head over to the ancient Greeks for our penultimate yellow word of today. The Greek word ξανθος (xanthos) could denote hair that was blonde or even auburn, so again it can denote a reddish gold.

Crocus is our final shade today. Now, we see crocuses that are pink, blue, and yellow, but Greek word (κροκος) originally referred to the saffron plant, which yields a famous rich yellow colouring. There is even rather a sweet instance of it being used in a Greek text to describe the colour of egg-yolks.

The bright, cheerful colour yellow therefore, not only has a great etymological (i.e. word family) history, but it also has many different variations in Classical terms. EGG-sellent! Okay, there's a reason I'm a classicist not a comedian. I hope you enjoyed this instalment. See you on the next one.

[daily-wof-designs]

Tawny - 371

[intriga-hounds]

lizzie (formerly tawny) looks so much like grandpa sivi….

[squidslugs-art]

my oc trend is making everyone freakishly asymmetric

[oakendesk]

book cover - Tawny - 1959 (revised version of May 1950 Women In Crime)

artist unknown

Women In Crime May 1950

artist unknown

[ttawny]

She’s BACK BABY

Magdalena Frackowiak at Schiaparelli Fall/Winter 2023 Couture

[hawkefaery]

[rslashrats]

tawny

[demigirlvioletshine]

[mourninglamby]

if u have any wips youd like to show i would like 2 see...

not many right now bc I’m swamped with work and commissions but here’s this I doodled last night lel

[tearzah]

Why have pants when you can have Long sweater and cute kitty socks

[abruisedmuse]

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL 🫤

On one hand, it honestly could be great. Amazon seems to be doing okay in the adaptation game, at least for me. And having the same show runner as The Boys is good because we will get the violence and the sex that's all over these books. Casteel and Poppy can be unhinged to the max, and it will be fine. It's such an interesting world that I'd love to see it play out. The summer I turned Pretty was received well. Daisy Jones is amazing so far. It has the potential to be an epic fantasy series.

HOWEVER, casting terrifies me. This series means so much to me that I'm just nervous it will be bad. Look at Red White & Royal Blue. It's a comfort book I adore, and 90% sure it's gonna flop. They've changed quite a bit, and to me, it doesn't seem like the actors cast for Alex and Henry have good chemistry. (This is just my opinion if you think they do then great happy for you.) I'm worried fbaa will get the same treatment.

Idk yall I just have so many thoughts. Anyone else??

[squidslugs]

hmm

tawy