Re: English colour verbs (was: Adjectives, Adverbs, Ad...)

On Thursday, March 18, 2004, at 09:20 AM, Peter Bleackley wrote:

> Staving Tim may:
>> Peter Bleackley wrote at 2004-03-17 09:17:45 (+0000)
>>  > Staving Tim May:
[snip]

>>  > Vespasian's legions purpled their general.
>>  >
>>  > Pete
>>
>> I'm not familiar with such a usage, although I can understand it in
>> context.  I assume this is a direct translation of the Latin idiom?
>
> Simply my own coinage for how "purple" could be plausibly verbed. The
> expression in use is "raise to the purple".
Sounds more like 'empurpling'  ;)

But the verb 'to purple' does actually occur in English; it may be
transitive, meaning "to make [something] purple" or intransitive, meaning
"to become purple".

Latin also derive a verb directly from the noun _purpura_ = the
purple-fish [actualy a shell fish from which the dye was obtained], purple
cloth, purple garment, high office.

The verb is _purpurare_ = (trans.) to dye [something] purple; (intrans.)
to be purple [colored]

Note the intransitive meaning is not the same as the English; "to become
purple" was denoted by the verb _purpurascere_

The adjective 'purple' BTW was _purpureus_

Ray
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