Journal of Foreign Language Research

Journal of Foreign Language Research

A linguistic study on the evolution of color names in Indo-European languages ,to New Persian.

Document Type : research article

Authors
Mojtaba Doroodi 1
Farzaneh Azam Lotfi 2
1 Department of Ancient Culture and Languages of Iran, faculty of Literature, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of East Asian Languages ​​and Literatures, Faculty of Foreign Languages ​​and Literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jflr.2026.400950.1238
Abstract
Objective: Colors are among the natural phenomena with a physical origin that, since the dawn of creation, have been present in every manifestation of nature. Their diversity and vast spectrum, with their impact on the human psyche, have been so significant throughout history that, since their earliest use by ancient peoples, they have not only been employed in all artistic expressions—such as pottery, painting, carpet weaving, architecture, and every form of human art—but also, through their profound and remarkable influence on humans, gave rise to symbolism within different cultures. This study, by examining the nature of these long-standing influential phenomena in human culture, art, and civilization, seeks to present a historical account of ancient colors among Indo-European peoples, the reasons behind their naming, and their eventual transformation into their modern forms from the perspective of linguistics in contemporary Persian. It further explores human perception of the concept of color across different eras.
Method: The present research has been conducted in a documentary and library manner. In this process and in the etymological study of colors, the evolution of these names in other Indo-European languages has also been discussed and examined, as far as possible.
Results & Conclusions: The present study indicated that the names of the colors mentioned are either evolved forms of the original Indo-European root or that the Indo-European root has not reached modern Persian. Although their Indo-European reflection is sometimes observed in other words of the Persian language.
Keywords
Color
Art
Indo-European
Avestan
Old Persian
Sanskrit
New Persian
Subjects
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Journal of Foreign Language Research
Volume 16, Issue 3
Summer 2026
Pages 339-350