Purple
/ˈpɜːr.pəl/noun
A color between red and blue, or a cloth or dye of that color.
Did you know?In ancient Rome, purple dye from murex sea snails was so expensive and prestigious that sumptuary laws restricted its use, turning a color into a political weapon.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pelek- / *per-
“A debated prehistoric root often connected with dark or reddish coloration, though the exact prehistory of purple is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πορφύρα (porphýra)
“Purple dye, purple cloth, and the murex shellfish used to make the dye.”
Latin
Latin
purpura
“Purple dye, purple cloth, and the color purple.”
Old French
Old French
purpre / pourpre
“Purple dye or cloth; the color purple.”
Middle English
English
purpul
“Purple, especially as a dye or cloth color.”
Modern English
English
purple
“The modern color term and name for a purple hue.”