The connotations of English colour terms: Colour-based X-phemisms

Abstract

This paper investigates the connotations of English colour terms with particular attention to figurative uses of black, white, grey, brown, yellow, red, green, blue and a few miscellaneous colours. The connotations are judged on the basis of whether the phrases in which the colour terms occur are typically orthophemistic, euphemistic, or dysphemistic. All the colours surveyed have some, often many, orthophemistic connotations; euphemistic connotations of colours are rare; but dysphemism is common. Black is used orthophemistically but not euphemistically; it more often has dysphemistic connotations than other colours. It is often connected to darkness (the night), death, decay, and evil deeds. Black has often been used dysphemistically of human skin colour, though it can be orthophemistic. White is in contrast to black and, as such, linked to light and purity; it mostly has positive connotations. Dysphemistic uses depict cowardice and fear; white is rarely used in euphemism. Located on the achromatic scale between black and white, grey is, of course, used for indeterminability and dullness. It gives rise to few figures. The faecal associations of brown lead to several dysphemisms; it is found in no euphemisms and few orthophemisms in figurative speech. In figurative expressions, yellow is dysphemistically used of cowards and cheap paper, and sometimes of Asiatic people. Most figurative expressions, both positive and negative, link red with blood-life-blood, the blood of the slain, or menstrual blood. The colour green is linked to living vegetation; negative connotations arise when it is the colour of illness or jealousy. The negative aspects of figurative uses of blue arise from fear, fighting, despondency, and tabooed language and behaviour. It is arguable that the use of blue to speak about these topics is euphemistic and that uses of blue are rarely dysphemistic. Colour terms such as gold, silver, and platinum derive from the names for valuable metals from which they derive their mostly positive connotations. All figurative uses of colour terms surveyed are, perhaps predictably, based upon the visual attributes of the denotatum. Although individuals may experience synesthesia when encountering colour terms, the language resources demonstrate none. My classification of the connotations of English colour terms reveals networks of associations, but no surprises. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.