Persian Blue
/ˈpɜːr.ʒən bluː/noun
A vivid deep blue color associated with Persian ceramics, textiles, and decorative art.
Did you know?Persian blue became especially associated with glazed tiles and pottery, including the brilliant blue architectural surfaces of Iran, where mineral pigments made buildings appear almost otherworldly.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“To shine, flash, or burn; the ancestral root commonly connected with the Germanic color family behind blue.”
Ancient Persian
Old Persian
Pārsa
“The name of the Persian people and the region of Persis, later giving rise to Persian.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Persís
“Persia or the land of the Persians, adapted from the name Pārsa.”
Latin
Latin
Persicus
“Persian; belonging to Persia.”
12th Century
Old French
bleu
“Blue, from a Germanic color term related to Proto-Germanic *blēwaz.”
14th Century
Middle English
blewe
“Blue; the form that developed into modern English blue.”
19th Century–Modern English
English
Persian blue
“A named deep-blue color associated with Persian art, pottery, textiles, and architecture.”