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The surprising pattern behind color names around the world

Vox · 8.4M views · 2017-05-16 · 6:46

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Overview

Vox explains the Berlin and Kay research showing that languages around the world tend to invent color words in the same order. It walks through the hierarchy and the debate around it.

On Hacker News

HN commenters recommend it as a clear, well-made summary of the linguistics of color naming and how culture shapes it.

Recommended by 4 HN people across 4 months · HN mentions 2017–2025

Topics

Language & linguistics
Search by tags
color termslinguisticsberlin and kaylanguage and cultureperception

What people said

Jeremy1026 · 2024-09 · Recommendation

It's very cultural. For example, Japan used the same word for green and blue, so their green light on traffic lights is as blue as possible while conforming to international standards for the light to be "green". Also, there is a pretty well done video by Vox on how color names are influenced by culture [VIDEO]

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dghughes · 2023-10 · Recommendation

I also find it fascinating that cultures have so many words for colours or so few words for colours either way it's interesting. Here is a good video on colour and how many cultures perceive colour and name them, or not. "The surprising pattern behind color names around the world" [VIDEO]

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maxwell · 2017-09 · Recommendation

Just watched this Vox video on a (potential) pattern behind color names last week, which also covers a bit about the research by Berlin and Kay: [VIDEO]

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Sources

Video by Vox, played through YouTube.

Data and selection notes

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