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Languages and Linguistics

Lionel Mandrake

(4,182 posts) Sun Sep 21, 2025, 09:28 PM Sep 21

4

color names

I always thought "purple" meant a mixture of red and violet, hence not a color of the rainbow. Now I find that many Americans, perhaps most, use "purple" as I would "violet", i.e., as a color of the rainbow. People who do that tend not to use the word "violet" except to designate a type of flower, the color of which they would describe as "purple". Am I right?

4 replies

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color names (Original Post) Lionel Mandrake Sep 21 OP

To me, violet is a lighter shade of purple, brighter/darker than lavender. -nt CrispyQ Sep 21 #1

I have no idea what color lavender is. Lionel Mandrake Monday #4

They're synonymous for me, but not to my wife Foolacious Monday #2

Interesting. Lionel Mandrake Monday #3

CrispyQ

(40,265 posts)

1. To me, violet is a lighter shade of purple, brighter/darker than lavender. -nt

Reply to Lionel Mandrake (Original post)

Sun Sep 21, 2025, 10:41 PM

Sep 21

Lionel Mandrake

(4,182 posts)

4. I have no idea what color lavender is.

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #1)

Mon Sep 22, 2025, 01:22 AM

Monday

There's also magenta, which has a lot of red in it.

Foolacious

(540 posts)

2. They're synonymous for me, but not to my wife

Reply to Lionel Mandrake (Original post)

Mon Sep 22, 2025, 12:20 AM

Monday

Violet is lighter and less red by her definition. It might be worth noting that I grew up on the US West Coast, and she on the East Coast.

Lionel Mandrake

(4,182 posts)

3. Interesting.

Reply to Foolacious (Reply #2)

Mon Sep 22, 2025, 01:16 AM

Monday

There might be regional variation in usage of these terms.

I also grew up on the West Coast, but to me the terms are not synonymous.

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