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"purple" in seven languages

Meaningpurple

Spanish

morado

/moˈɾado/

other source · mora 'blackberry, mulberry', from Latin MŌRUM

Violeta and lila name lighter shades.

French

violet

/vjɔlɛ/

inherited

fem.: violette

Built on violette, a diminutive of Old French viole.

Italian

viola

/ˈvjɔla/

inherited

Invariable as a colour; viola is also the flower.

Portuguese

roxo

/ˈhoʃu/

other source · Latin RUSSEUM 'reddish' — the word that gave Spanish rojo 'red'

A false friend for Spanish speakers: roxo is purple, not red.

Romanian

mov

/mov/

other source · French mauve 'mallow', from Latin MALVAM

Invariable; violet also exists.

Catalan

morat

/muˈɾat/

other source · mora 'blackberry, mulberry', from Latin MŌRUM

Lila and violeta name lighter shades.

English

purple

/ˈpɝpəl/

other source · Latin purpura (Old English purpul)

English → ItalianpurpleviolaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: violet, viola (the flower).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

VIOLAM‘violet (the flower)’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Two flowers and a berry: French and Italian named the colour after the violet, Spanish after the mulberry. Púrpura / pourpre / porpora exist too, for a deeper, regal purple.

English relatives: violet, viola (the flower)

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In a sentence

  • esLa lavanda es morada.
  • frLa lavande est violette.
  • itLa lavanda è viola.
  • ptA lavanda é roxa.
  • roLavanda e mov.
  • caLa lavanda és morada.
  • enLavender is purple.

More in Colors

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