gems, color science

Ancient languages tend to favor concrete and specific meanings over abstraction, categorizing basic colors differently than the modern languages on which Berlin and Kay’s universalist evolutionary theory is based. Terms for red and blue in ancient languages often derive transparently from precious stones, are applied across multiple basic categories, and were subject to exchange and reinterpretation among cultures, including shifts in terminology. This becomes evident when we closely examine the same philological data used to support Berlin and Kay’s conclusions. On closer inspection, the theory’s universal validity is called into question, as it appears to overlook critical nuances in ancient linguistic evidence—ultimately obscuring rather than clarifying the historical evolution of color terminology. Studying color expression in antiquity, therefore, enhances our understanding of how color terminology has evolved and deepens our insight into linguistic development more broadly.