Green is thecolor betweencyan andyellow on thevisible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has adominant wavelength of roughly 495–570nm. Insubtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combination of yellow and cyan; in theRGB color model, used on television and computer screens, it is one of theadditive primary colors, along withred andblue, which are mixed in different combinations to create all other colors. By far the largest contributor to green in nature ischlorophyll, the chemical by which plantsphotosynthesize and convert sunlight into chemical energy. Many creatures have adapted to their green environments by taking on a green hue themselves ascamouflage. Severalminerals have a green color, including theemerald, which is colored green by itschromium content.
Duringpost-classical andearly modern Europe, green was the color commonly associated with wealth, merchants, bankers, and the gentry, while red was reserved for the nobility. For this reason, the costume of theMona Lisa byLeonardo da Vinci and the benches in the BritishHouse of Commons are green while those in theHouse of Lords are red.[1] It also has a long historical tradition as the color ofIreland and ofGaelic culture. It is the historic color ofIslam, representing the lush vegetation ofParadise. It was the color of the banner ofMuhammad, and is found in the flags of nearly all Islamic countries.[2]
In surveys made inAmerican, European, andIslamic countries, green is the color most commonly associated withnature,life,health,youth,spring,hope, andenvy.[3] In theEuropean Union and theUnited States, green is also sometimes associated withtoxicity and poor health,[4] but in China and most of Asia, its associations are very positive, as the symbol of fertility and happiness.[3] Because of its association with nature, it is the color of theenvironmental movement. Political groups advocating environmental protection and social justice describe themselves as part of theGreen movement, some naming themselvesGreen parties. This has led to similar campaigns in advertising, as companies have sold green, orenvironmentally friendly, products. Green is also the traditional color of safety and permission; a green light means go ahead, agreen card permits permanent residence in the United States.
Etymology and linguistic definitions
The wordgreen has the same Germanic root as the words forgrass andgrow
Latin withviridis also has a genuine and widely used term for "green". Related tovirere "to grow" andver "spring", it gave rise to words in severalRomance languages, Frenchvert, Italianverde (and Englishvert,verdure etc.).[8] Likewise theSlavic languages withzelenъ.Ancient Greek also had a term for yellowish, pale green –χλωρός,chloros (cf. the color of chlorine), cognate with χλοερός "verdant" and χλόη "chloe, the green of new growth".
Thus, the languages mentioned above (Germanic, Romance, Slavic, Greek) have old terms for "green" which are derived from words for fresh, sprouting vegetation.However,comparative linguistics makes clear that these terms were coined independently, over the past few millennia, and there is no identifiable singleProto-Indo-European or word for "green". For example, the Slaviczelenъ is cognate withSanskritharithah [sa] "yellow, ochre, golden".[9]TheTurkic languages also havejašɨl "green" or "yellowish green", compared to a Mongolian word for "meadow".[10]
The notion of "green" in modern European languages corresponds to about 520–570 nm, but many historical and non-European languages make other choices, e.g. using a term for the range of ca. 450–530 nm ("blue/green") and another for ca. 530–590 nm ("green/yellow").
In some languages, including oldChinese,Thai, oldJapanese, andVietnamese, the same word can mean either blue or green.[11] TheChinese character青 (pronouncedqīng inMandarin,ao in Japanese, andthanh inSino-Vietnamese) has a meaning that covers both blue and green; blue and green are traditionally considered shades of "青". In more contemporary terms, they are藍 (lán, in Mandarin) and綠 (lǜ, in Mandarin) respectively. Japanese also has two terms that refer specifically to the color green,緑 (midori, which is derived from the classical Japanese descriptive verbmidoru "to be in leaf, to flourish" in reference to trees) and グリーン (guriin, which is derived from the English word "green"). However, in Japan, although the traffic lights have the same colors as other countries have, the green light is described using the same word as for blue,aoi, because green is considered a shade of aoi; similarly, green variants of certain fruits and vegetables such as green apples, greenshiso (as opposed to red apples and red shiso) will be described with the wordaoi. Vietnamese uses a single word for both blue and green,xanh, with variants such asxanh da trời (azure, lit. "sky blue"),lam (blue), andlục (green; alsoxanh lá cây, lit. "leaf green").
"Green" in modern European languages corresponds to about 520–570 nm, but many historical and non-European languages make other choices, e.g. using a term for the range of ca. 450–530 nm ("blue/green") and another for ca. 530–590 nm ("green/yellow").[citation needed] In the comparative study ofcolor terms in the world's languages, green is only found as a separate category in languages with the fully developed range of six colors (white, black, red, green, yellow, and blue), or more rarely in systems with five colors (white, red, yellow, green, and black/blue).[12][13] These languages have introduced supplementary vocabulary to denote "green", but these terms are recognizable as recent adoptions that are not in origin color terms (much like the English adjectiveorange being in origin not a color term but the name of a fruit). Thus, theThai word เขียวkheīyw, besides meaning "green", also means "rank" and "smelly" and holds other unpleasant associations.[14]
TheCeltic languages had a term for "blue/green/grey",Proto-Celtic*glasto-, which gave rise toOld Irishglas "green, grey" and toWelshglas "blue". This word is cognate with the Ancient Greek γλαυκός "bluish green", contrasting with χλωρός "yellowish green" discussed above.
A dark green rectangle
In modern Japanese, the term for green is緑, while the old term for "blue/green", blue (青,Ao) now means "blue". But in certain contexts, green is still conventionally referred to as 青, as inbluetraffic light (青信号,ao shingō) andblueleaves (青葉,aoba), reflecting the absence of blue-green distinction in old Japanese (more accurately, thetraditional Japanese color terminology grouped someshades of green with blue, and others with yellow tones).
In optics, theperception of green is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with awavelength of roughly 495–570 nm. The sensitivity of the dark-adapted human eye is greatest at about 507 nm, a blue-green color, while the light-adapted eye is most sensitive about 555 nm, a yellow-green; these are the peak locations of the rod and cone (scotopic and photopic, respectively)luminosity functions.[15]
The perception of greenness (in opposition to redness forming one of theopponent mechanisms in humancolor vision) is evoked by light which triggers the medium-wavelengthMcone cells in the eye more than the long-wavelengthL cones. Light which triggers this greenness response more than the yellowness or blueness of the other color opponent mechanism is called green. A green light source typically has a spectral power distribution dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 487–570 nm.[a]
Red. green, blue ed areadditive colors. All the colors seen are made by mixing them in different intensities.
Human eyes have color receptors known as cone cells, of which there are three types. In some cases, one is missing or faulty, which can causecolor blindness, including the common inability to distinguish red and yellow from green, known asdeuteranopia or red-green color blindness.[17]Green is restful to the eye. Studies show that a green environment can reduce fatigue.[18]
In thesubtractive color system, used in painting and color printing, green is created by a combination of yellow and blue, or yellow andcyan; in theRGB color model, used on television and computer screens, it is one of theadditive primary colors, along with red and blue, which are mixed in different combinations to create all other colors. On theHSV color wheel, also known as theRGB color wheel, thecomplement of green ismagenta; that is, a color corresponding to an equal mixture ofred andblue light (one of thepurples). On a traditional color wheel, based on subtractive color, the complementary color to green is considered to be red.[19]
In additive color devices such as computer displays and televisions, one of theprimary light sources is typically a narrow-spectrum yellowish-green of dominant wavelength ≈550 nm; this "green" primary is combined with an orangish-red "red" primary and a purplish-blue "blue" primary to produce any color in between – the RGB color model. Aunique green (green appearing neither yellowish nor bluish) is produced on such a device by mixing light from the green primary with some light from the blue primary.
Lasers
Three green lasers being fired at a single spot in the sky from theStarfire Optical Range
Lasers emitting in the green part of the spectrum are widely available to the general public in a wide range of output powers. Green laser pointers outputting at 532 nm (563.5 THz) are relatively inexpensive compared to other wavelengths of the same power, and are very popular due to their good beam quality and very high apparent brightness. The most common green lasers use diode pumped solid state (DPSS) technology to create the green light.[20]An infraredlaser diode at 808 nm is used to pump a crystal of neodymium-doped yttrium vanadium oxide (Nd:YVO4) or neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) and induces it to emit 281.76 THz (1064 nm). This deeper infrared light is then passed through another crystal containing potassium, titanium and phosphorus (KTP), whose non-linear properties generate light at a frequency that is twice that of the incident beam (563.5 THz); in this case corresponding to the wavelength of 532 nm ("green").[21]Other green wavelengths are also available using DPSS technology ranging from 501 nm to 543 nm.[22]Green wavelengths are also available fromgas lasers, including thehelium–neon laser (543 nm), the Argon-ion laser (514 nm) and the Krypton-ion laser (521 nm and 531 nm), as well as liquiddye lasers. Green lasers have a wide variety of applications, including pointing, illumination, surgery,laser light shows,spectroscopy,interferometry,fluorescence,holography,machine vision,non-lethal weapons, andbird control.[23]
As of mid-2011, direct green laser diodes at 510 nm and 500 nm have become generally available,[24]although the price remains relatively prohibitive for widespread public use. The efficiency of these lasers (peak 3%)[citation needed] compared to that of DPSS green lasers (peak 35%)[citation needed][25]may also be limiting adoption of the diodes to niche uses.
Many minerals providepigments which have been used in green paints and dyes over the centuries. Pigments, in this case, are minerals which reflect the color green, rather that emitting it throughluminescent orphosphorescent qualities. The large number of green pigments makes it impossible to mention them all. Among the more notable green minerals, however is theemerald, which is colored green by trace amounts ofchromium and sometimesvanadium.[26]Chromium(III) oxide (Cr2O3), is calledchrome green, also calledviridian or institutional green when used as a pigment.[27] For many years, the source ofamazonite's color was a mystery. Widely thought to have been due tocopper because copper compounds often have blue and green colors, the blue-green color is likely to be derived from small quantities oflead and water in thefeldspar.[28]Copper is the source of the green color inmalachite pigments, chemically known as basiccopper(II) carbonate.[29]
Verdigris is made by placing a plate or blade of copper, brass or bronze, slightly warmed, into a vat of fermenting wine, leaving it there for several weeks, and then scraping off and drying the green powder that forms on the metal. The process of making verdigris was described in ancient times byPliny. It was used by the Romans in the murals of Pompeii, and in Celtic medieval manuscripts as early as the 5th century AD. It produced a blue-green which no other pigment could imitate, but it had drawbacks: it was unstable, it could not resist dampness, it did not mix well with other colors, it could ruin other colors with which it came into contact, and it wastoxic.Leonardo da Vinci, in his treatise on painting, warned artists not to use it. It was widely used in miniature paintings in Europe and Persia in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its use largely ended in the late 19th century, when it was replaced by the safer and more stablechrome green.[30] Viridian, as described above, waspatented in 1859. It became popular with painters, since, unlike other synthetic greens, it was stable and not toxic.Vincent van Gogh used it, along withPrussian blue, to create a dark blue sky with a greenish tint in his paintingCafé Terrace at Night.[27]
Green earth is a natural pigment used since the time of theRoman Empire. It is composed of clay colored byiron oxide,magnesium,aluminum silicate, orpotassium. Large deposits were found in the South of France nearNice, and in Italy aroundVerona, onCyprus, and inBohemia. The clay was crushed, washed to remove impurities, then powdered. It was sometimes called Green of Verona.[31]
Mixtures of oxidizedcobalt andzinc were also used to create green paints as early as the 18th century.[32]
Cobalt green, sometimes known asRinman's green or zinc green, is a translucent green pigment made by heating a mixture of cobalt (II) oxide and zinc oxide.Sven Rinman, a Swedish chemist, discovered this compound in 1780.[33]Green chrome oxide was a new synthetic green created by a chemist named Pannetier in Paris in about 1835. Emerald green was a synthetic deep green made in the 19th century by hydrating chrome oxide. It was also known as Guignet green.[27]
There is no natural source for greenfood colorings which has been approved by the USFood and Drug Administration. Chlorophyll, theE numbers E140 and E141, is the most common green chemical found in nature, and only allowed in certain medicines and cosmetic materials.[34]Quinoline Yellow (E104) is a commonly used coloring in the United Kingdom but is banned in Australia, Japan, Norway and the United States.[35]Green S (E142) is prohibited in many countries, for it is known to causehyperactivity,asthma,urticaria, andinsomnia.[36]
Green is common in nature, as many plants are green because of a complex chemical known as chlorophyll, which is involved inphotosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs the long wavelengths of light (red) and short wavelengths of light (blue) much more efficiently than the wavelengths that appear green to the human eye, so light reflected by plants is enriched in green.[38]Chlorophyll absorbs green light poorly because it first arose in organisms living in oceans where purplehalobacteria were already exploiting photosynthesis. Their purple color arose because they extracted energy in the green portion of the spectrum usingbacteriorhodopsin. The new organisms that then later came to dominate the extraction of light were selected to exploit those portions of the spectrum not used by the halobacteria.[39]
Animals typically use the color green ascamouflage, blending in with the chlorophyll green of the surrounding environment.[17] Most fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds appear green because of areflection of blue light coming through an over-layer of yellow pigment. Perception of color can also be affected by the surrounding environment. For example, broadleaf forests typically have a yellow-green light about them as the trees filter the light.Turacoverdin is one chemical which can cause a green hue in birds, especially.[17] Invertebrates such as insects or mollusks often display green colors because ofporphyrin pigments, sometimes caused by diet. This can causes their feces to look green as well. Other chemicals which generally contribute to greenness among organisms areflavins (lychochromes) and hemanovadin.[17] Humans have imitated this by wearing green clothing as a camouflage in military and other fields. Substances that may impart a greenish hue to one's skin includebiliverdin, the green pigment inbile, andceruloplasmin, aprotein that carries copperions inchelation.
Thegreen huntsman spider is green due to the presence of bilin pigments in the spider's hemolymph (circulatory system fluids) andtissue fluids.[40]It hunts insects in green vegetation, where it is well camouflaged.
There is no green pigment in green eyes; like the color of blue eyes, it is an optical illusion; its appearance is caused by the combination of an amber or light brown pigmentation of thestroma, given by a low or moderate concentration ofmelanin, with the blue tone imparted by theRayleigh scattering of the reflected light.[41]Nobody is brought into the world with green eyes. An infant has one of two eye hues: dark or blue. Following birth, cells called melanocytes start to discharge melanin, the earthy colored shade, in the child's irises. This begins happening since melanocytes respond to light in time.[42]Green eyes are most common inNorthern andCentral Europe.[43][44]They can also be found inSouthern Europe,West Asia,Central Asia, andSouth Asia.[citation needed] InIceland, 89% of women and 87% of men have either blue or green eye color.[45]A study of Icelandic and Dutch adults found green eyes to be much more prevalent in women than in men.[46]
In history and art
Prehistoric history
Neolithic cave paintings do not have traces of green pigments, but neolithic peoples in northern Europe did make a green dye for clothing, made from the leaves of thebirch tree. It was of very poor quality, more brown than green. Ceramics from ancientMesopotamia show people wearing vivid green costumes, but it is not known how the colors were produced.[47]
Ancient history
The gardens of ancient Egypt were symbols of rebirth. Tomb painting of the gardens of Amon at the temple of Karnak, from the tomb of Nakh, the chief gardener. Early 14th century BC.
The Ancient Egyptian godOsiris, ruler of the underworld and of rebirth and regeneration, was typically shown with a green face. (Tomb ofNefertari, 1295–1253 BC)
Ancient Roman fresco of Flora, or Spring, fromStabiae (2nd century AD)
Gorgan ceramic, Early 13th century
InAncient Egypt, green was the symbol of regeneration and rebirth, and of the crops made possible by the annual flooding of the Nile. For painting on the walls of tombs or on papyrus, Egyptian artists used finely groundmalachite, mined in the west Sinai and the eastern desert; a paintbox with malachite pigment was found inside the tomb of KingTutankhamun. They also used less expensive green earth pigment, or mixed yellow ochre and blueazurite. To dye fabrics green, they first colored them yellow with dye made fromsaffron and then soaked them in blue dye from the roots of thewoad plant.[47]
For the ancient Egyptians, green had very positive associations. Thehieroglyph for green represented a growingpapyrus sprout, showing the close connection between green, vegetation, vigor and growth. In wall paintings, the ruler of the underworld,Osiris, was typically portrayed with a green face, because green was the symbol of good health and rebirth. Palettes of green facial makeup, made with malachite, were found in tombs. It was worn by both the living and the dead, particularly around the eyes, to protect them from evil. Tombs also often contained small green amulets in the shape ofscarab beetles made of malachite, which would protect and give vigor to the deceased. It also symbolized the sea, which was called the "Very Green".[48]
In Ancient Greece, green and blue were sometimes considered the same color, and the same word sometimes described the color of the sea and the color of trees. The philosopherDemocritus described two different greens:chloron, or pale green, andprasinon, orleek green.Aristotle considered that green was located midway between black, symbolizing the earth, and white, symbolizing water. However, green was not counted among the four classic colors of Greek painting – red, yellow, black and white – and is rarely found in Greek art.[49]
The Romans had a greater appreciation for the color green; it was the color ofVenus, the goddess of gardens, vegetables and vineyards. The Romans made a fine green earth pigment that was widely used in the wall paintings ofPompeii,Herculaneum,Lyon,Vaison-la-Romaine, and other Roman cities. They also used the pigment verdigris, made by soaking copper plates in fermenting wine.[50] By the second century AD, the Romans were using green in paintings, mosaics and glass, and there were ten different words in Latin for varieties of green.[51]
Postclassical history
In theArnolfini portrait byJan van Eyck (1434), the rich green fabric of the dress showed the wealth and status of the family.
Duccio di Buoninsegna painted the faces in this painting (1308–1311) with an undercoat of green earth pigment. The surface pink has faded, making the faces look green today.
The green costume of theMona Lisa shows she was from the gentry, not from the nobility.
In this 1503 painting byPerugino, malachite pigment was used to paint the bright green garments of the worshippers, while the background greens were painted in green earth pigments.
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the color of clothing showed a person's social rank and profession. Red could only be worn by the nobility, brown and gray by peasants, and green by merchants, bankers and the gentry and their families. TheMona Lisa wears green in her portrait, as does the bride in the Arnolfini portrait byJan van Eyck.
There were no good vegetal green dyes which resisted washing and sunlight for those who wanted or were required to wear green. Green dyes were made out of thefern,plantain,buckthorn berries, the juice ofnettles and ofleeks, thedigitalis plant, thebroom plant, the leaves of thefraxinus, or ash tree, and the bark of thealder tree, but they rapidly faded or changed color. Only in the 16th century was a good green dye produced, by first dyeing the cloth blue with woad, and then yellow withReseda luteola, also known as yellow-weed.[53]
The pigments available to painters were more varied; monks in monasteries used verdigris, made by soaking copper in fermenting wine, to color medieval manuscripts. They also used finely-ground malachite, which made a luminous green. They used green earth colors for backgrounds.
During the early Renaissance, painters such asDuccio di Buoninsegna learned to paint faces first with a green undercoat, then with pink, which gave the faces a more realistic hue. Over the centuries the pink has faded, making some of the faces look green.[54]
Modern history
In the 18th and 19th century
Dedham Vale (1802) byJohn Constable. The paintings of Constable romanticized the vivid green landscapes of England
In the paintings ofJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796–1875), the green of trees and nature became the central element of the painting, with the people secondary
The 18th and 19th centuries brought the discovery and production of synthetic green pigments and dyes, which rapidly replaced the earlier mineral and vegetable pigments and dyes. These new dyes were more stable and brilliant than the vegetable dyes, but some contained high levels ofarsenic, and were eventually banned.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, green was associated with theromantic movement in literature and art.[55] The German poet and philosopherGoethe declared that green was the most restful color, suitable for decorating bedrooms. Painters such asJohn Constable andJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot depicted the lush green of rural landscapes and forests. Green was contrasted to the smoky grays and blacks of the Industrial Revolution.
The second half of the 19th century saw the use of green in art to create specific emotions, not just to imitate nature. One of the first to make color the central element of his picture was the American artistJames McNeill Whistler, who created a series of paintings called "symphonies" or "noctures" of color, includingSymphony in gray and green; The Ocean between 1866 and 1872.
The late 19th century also brought the systematic study of color theory, and particularly the study of how complementary colors such as red and green reinforced each other when they were placed next to each other. These studies were avidly followed by artists such asVincent van Gogh. Describing his painting,TheNight Cafe, to his brother Theo in 1888, Van Gogh wrote: "I sought to express with red and green the terrible human passions. The hall is blood red and pale yellow, with a green billiard table in the center, and four lamps of lemon yellow, with rays of orange and green. Everywhere it is a battle and antithesis of the most different reds and greens."[56]
In the 20th and 21st century
In the 1980s, green became a political symbol, the color of theGreen Party in Germany and in many other European countries. It symbolized theenvironmental movement, and also a new politics of the left which rejected traditional socialism and communism. (See§ In politics section below.)
Symbolism and associations
Safety and permission
A green light is the universal symbol of permission to go
Green can communicate safety to proceed, as intraffic lights.[57] Green and red were standardized as the colors of international railroad signals in the 19th century.[58] The first traffic light, using green and red gas lamps, was erected in 1868 in front of theHouses of Parliament in London. It exploded the following year, injuring the policeman who operated it. In 1912, the first modern electric traffic lights were put up inSalt Lake City,Utah. Red was chosen largely because of its high visibility, and its association with danger, while green was chosen largely because it could not be mistaken for red. Today green lights universally signal that a system is turned on and working as it should. In many video games, green signifies bothhealth and completed objectives, opposite red.
Nature, vivacity, and life
Green is the color most commonly associated in Europe and the United States with nature, vivacity and life.[59]It is the color of many environmental organizations, such asGreenpeace, and of theGreen Parties in Europe. Many cities have designated a garden or park as a green space, and use green trash bins and containers. A green cross is commonly used to designate pharmacies in Europe.
In China, green is associated with the east, with sunrise, and with life and growth.[60] In Thailand, the color green is consideredauspicious for those born on a Wednesday (light green for those born at night).[61]
Springtime, freshness, and hope
Green is the color most commonly associated in the United States and Europe with springtime, freshness, and hope.[62][b] Green is often used to symbolize rebirth and renewal and immortality. InAncient Egypt; the godOsiris, king of the underworld, was depicted as green-skinned.[63] Green as the color of hope is connected with the color of springtime; hope represents the faith that things will improve after a period of difficulty, like the renewal of flowers and plants after the winter season.[64]
Youth and inexperience
Green the color most commonly associated in Europe and the United States with youth. It also often is used to describe anyone young, inexperienced, probably by the analogy to immature and unripe fruit.[65][66][c] Examples includegreen cheese, a term for a fresh, unaged cheese, andgreenhorn, an inexperienced person.
Food and diet
Indian FSSAI labels. The green dot symbol (top-left) identifies lacto-vegetarian food.
The color green has been increasingly used by food companies, governments, and practitioners themselves to identify veganism and vegetarianism. The government ofIndia requires food that is vegetarian to be marked with a green circle as part of theFood Safety and Standards Act of 2006 with changes to symbolism since but still maintaining the color green. In 2021, India introduced a green V to exclusively label vegan options.[67] In the west, theV-Label, a green V designed by theEuropean Vegetarian Union, has been used by food distributors to label vegan and vegetarian options.[68]
Calm, tolerance, and the agreeable
Surveys also show that green is the color most associated with the calm, the agreeable, and tolerance. Red is associated with heat, blue with cold, and green with an agreeable temperature. Red is associated with dry, blue with wet, and green, in the middle, with dampness. Red is the most active color, blue the most passive; green, in the middle, is the color of neutrality and calm, sometimes used in architecture and design for these reasons.[d]Blue and green together symbolize harmony and balance.[69] Experimental studies also show this calming effect in a statistical significant decrease of negative emotions[70]and increase of creative performance.[71]
Jealousy and envy
Green is often associated withjealousy andenvy. The expression "green-eyed monster" was first used byWilliam Shakespeare inOthello: "it is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." Shakespeare also used it in theMerchant of Venice, speaking of "green-eyed jealousy".[72]
Love and sexuality
Green today is not commonly associated in Europe and the United States with love and sexuality,[73] but in stories of themedieval period it sometimes represented love[74] and the base, natural desires of man.[75] It was the color of theserpent in theGarden of Eden who caused the downfall ofAdam and Eve. However, for thetroubadours, green was the color of growing love, and light green clothing was reserved for young women who were not yet married.[76]
In Persian and Sudanese poetry, dark-skinned women, called "green" women, were considered erotic.[77] The Chinese term forcuckold is "to wear a green hat."[78] This was because in ancient China, prostitutes were called "the family of the green lantern" and aprostitute's family would wear a green headscarf.[79]
In legends, folk tales and films,fairies,dragons,monsters, and the devil are often shown as green.
In the Middle Ages, the devil was usually shown as either red, black or green. Dragons were usually green, because they had the heads, claws and tails of reptiles.
ModernChinese dragons are also often green, but unlike European dragons, they are benevolent; Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. The Emperor of China usually used the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power and strength. Thedragon dance is a popular feature of Chinese festivals.
InIrish andEnglish folklore, the color was sometimes associated with witchcraft, and withfaeries and spirits.[82][83][84] The type of Irish fairy known as aleprechaun is commonly portrayed wearing a green suit, though before the 20th century he was usually described as wearing a red suit.
In theater and film, green was often connected with monsters and the inhuman. The earliest films of Frankenstein were in black and white, but in the poster for the 1935 versionThe Bride of Frankenstein, the monster had a green face. ActorBela Lugosi wore green-hued makeup for the role ofDracula in the 1927–1928 Broadway stage production.[85][86]
Poison and sickness
Like other common colors, green has several completely opposite associations. While it is the color most associated by Europeans and Americans with good health, it is also the color most often associated withtoxicity and poison. There was a solid foundation for this association; in the nineteenth century several popular paints and pigments, notably verdigris, vert de Schweinfurt and vert de Paris, were highly toxic, containing copper or arsenic.[87][e] The intoxicating drinkabsinthe was known as "the green fairy".
A green tinge in the skin is sometimes associated with nausea and sickness.[88] The expression 'green at the gills' means appearing sick. The color, when combined with gold, is sometimes seen as representing the fading of youth.[89] In some Far East cultures the color green is used as a symbol of sickness or nausea.[90]
Green in Europe and the United States is sometimes associated with status and prosperity. From the Middle Ages to the 19th century it was often worn by bankers, merchants country gentlemen and others who were wealthy but not members of the nobility. The benches in theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom, where the landed gentry sat, are colored green.
In the United States green was connected with the dollar bill. Since 1861, the reverse side of the dollar bill has been green. Green was originally chosen because it deterred counterfeiters, who tried to use early camera equipment to duplicate banknotes. Also, since the banknotes were thin, the green on the back did not show through and muddle the pictures on the front of the banknote. Green continues to be used because the public now associates it with a strong and stable currency.[91]
One of the more notable uses of this meaning is found inThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz. TheEmerald City in this story is a place where everyone wears tinted glasses that make everything appear green. According to the populist interpretation of the story, the city's color is used by the author,L. Frank Baum, to illustrate the financial system of America in his day, as he lived in a time when America was debating the use of paper money versus gold.[92]
Theflag of Italy (1797) was modeled after the flag of France. It was originally the flag of theCisalpine Republic, and the green came from the uniforms of the army of Milan.
The formerflag of Libya (1977–2011) was the only flag in the world with a single color and no design or details.
Theflag of Italy (1797) was modeled after the French tricolor. It was originally the flag of the Cisalpine Republic, whose capital wasMilan; red and white were the colors of Milan, and green was the color of the military uniforms of the army of the Cisalpine Republic. Other versions say it is the color of the Italian landscape, or symbolizes hope.[95]
Theflag of Brazil has a green field adapted from the flag of the Empire of Brazil. The green represented the royal family.
Theflag of India was inspired by an earlier flag of the independence movement ofGandhi, which had a red band for Hinduism and a green band representing Islam, the second largest religion in India.[96]
The flag of Pakistan symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam and equal rights of religious minorities where the larger portion (3:2 ratio) of flag is dark green representing Muslim majority (98% of total population) while a white vertical bar (3:1 ratio) at the mast representing equal rights for religious minorities and minority religions in country. The crescent and star symbolizes progress and bright future respectively.
The flag of Bangladesh has a green field based on a similar flag used during theBangladesh Liberation War of 1971. It consists of a red disc on top of a green field. The red disc represents the sun rising overBengal, and also the blood of those who died for the independence of Bangladesh. The green field stands for the lushness of the land of Bangladesh.
The flag of the internationalconstructed languageEsperanto has a green field and a green star in a white area. The green represents hope ("esperanto" means "one who hopes"), the white represents peace and neutrality and the star represents the five inhabited continents.
Many flags of theIslamic world are green, as the color is considered sacred in Islam (see below). The flag ofHamas,[98] as well as theflag of Iran, is green, symbolizing theirIslamist ideology.[99] The 1977 flag of Libya consisted of a simple green field with no other characteristics. It was the only national flag in the world with just one color and no design, insignia, or other details.[100] Some countries used green in their flags to represent their country's lush vegetation, as in theflag of Jamaica,[101] and hope in the future, as in the flags ofPortugal and Nigeria.[102] The greencedar of Lebanon tree on the Flag of Lebanon officially represents steadiness and tolerance.[103]
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Green is a symbol of Ireland, which is often referred to as the "Emerald Isle". The color is particularly identified with therepublican andnationalist traditions in modern times. It is used this way on the flag of theRepublic of Ireland, in balance with white and the Protestant orange.[104] Green is a strong trend in the Irish holidaySt. Patrick's Day.[105]
The first recorded green party wasa political faction inConstantinople during the 6th centuryByzantine Empire. which took its name from a popularchariot racing team. They were bitter opponents of theblue faction, which supported EmperorJustinian I and which had its own chariot racing team. In 532 AD rioting between the factions began after one race, which led to the massacre of green supporters and the destruction of much of the center of Constantinople.[106] (SeeNika Riots).
Green was the traditional color ofIrish nationalism, beginning in the 17th century. The green harp flag, with a traditionalgaelic harp, became the symbol of the movement. It was the banner of theSociety of United Irishmen, which organized the ultimately unsuccessfulIrish Rebellion of 1798. When Ireland achieved independence in 1922, green was incorporated into thenational flag.[107]
In the 1970s, green became the color of the third biggest Swiss Federal Council political party, theSwiss People's Party SVP. The ideology is Swiss nationalism, national conservatism, right-wing populism, economic liberalism, agrarianism, isolationism, euroscepticism. The SVP was founded on September 22, 1971, and has 90,000 members.[108]
In the 1980s, green became the color of a number of new European political parties organized around an agenda ofenvironmentalism. Green was chosen for its association with nature, health, and growth. The largest green party in Europe is Alliance '90/The Greens (German: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) in Germany, which was formed in 1993 from the merger of the German Green Party, founded in West Germany in 1980, and Alliance 90, founded during the Revolution of 1989–1990 in East Germany. In the 2009 federal elections, the party won 11% of the votes and 68 out of 622 seats in theBundestag.
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization which emerged from the anti-nuclear and peace movements in the 1970s. Its ship, theRainbow Warrior, frequently tried to interfere with nuclear tests and whaling operations. The movement now has branches in forty countries.
TheAustralian Greens was founded in 1992. In the 2010 federal election, the party received 13% of the vote (more than 1.6 million votes) in the Senate, a first for any Australian minor party.
Green is the color associated withPuerto Rico'sIndependence Party, the smallest of that country's three major political parties, which advocates Puerto Rican independence from the United States.
Green is the traditional color of Islam. According to tradition, the robe and banner ofMuhammad were green, and according to theKoran (XVIII, 31 and LXXVI, 21) those fortunate enough to live in paradise wear green silk robes.[110][111][112] Muhammad is quoted in ahadith as saying that "water, greenery, and a beautiful face" were three universally good things.[113] Green was accordingly adopted as aShi'a color.[114]
Al-Khidr ("The Green One"), was an importantQur'anic figure who was said to have met and traveled withMoses.[115] He was given that name because of his role as a diplomat and negotiator. Green was also considered to be the median color between light and obscurity.[111]
InChristianity, especiallyRoman Catholic and more traditionalProtestant clergy wear greenvestments at liturgical celebrations duringOrdinary Time.[116] In theEastern Catholic Church, green is the color ofPentecost.[117] Green is one of theChristmas colors as well, possibly dating back to pre-Christian times, when evergreens were worshiped for their ability to maintain their color through the winter season. Romans used greenholly andevergreen as decorations for theirwinter solstice celebration calledSaturnalia, which eventually evolved into a Christmas celebration.[118] In Ireland andScotland especially, green is used to represent Catholics, whileorange is used to representProtestantism. This is shown on the national flag of Ireland.
InPaganism, green represents abundance, growth, wealth, renewal, and balance. Inmagickal practices, green is often used to bring money and luck.[119] One figure who shares parallels with various deities is theGreen Man.[120]
Abilliards table, colored green after the lawns where the ancestors of the game were originally played.
Gambling tables in acasino are traditionally green. The tradition is said to have started in gambling rooms inVenice in the 16th century.[121]
Billiards tables are traditionally covered with green woolen cloth. The first indoor tables, dating to the 15th century, were colored green after the grass courts used for the similar lawn games of the period.[122]
Green was the traditional color worn by hunters in the 19th century, particularly the shade calledhunter green. In the 20th century most hunters began wearing the colorolive drab, a shade of green, instead of hunter green.[123]
Green is a common color for sports teams. Well-known teams includeA.S. Saint-Étienne of France, known asLes Verts (The Greens). TheGreen Bay Packers, anAmerican football team, has the color in its official name and wears green uniforms. TheNBA basketball teamBoston Celtics is known for the green and white colors. InIsrael, the green and white colors are identified withMaccabi Haifa F.C., a successful football club known as "The Greens". A number of national soccer teams feature the color, with the color usually reflective of the teams' national flag.
British racing green was the international motor racing color of Britain from the early 1900s until the 1960s, when it was replaced by the colors of the sponsoring automobile companies.
Having a green thumb (American English) orgreen fingers (British English). To be passionate about or talented at gardening.[127] The expression was popularized beginning in 1925 by a BBC gardening program.[72]
Greenhorn. Someone who is inexperienced.
Green-eyed monster. Refers to jealousy. (See section above on jealousy and envy).
Greenmail. A term used in finance and corporate takeovers. It refers to the practice of a company paying a high price to buy back shares of its own stock to prevent an unfriendly takeover by another company or businessman. It originated in the 1980s onWall Street, and originates from the green of dollars.[72]
Green room. A room at a theater where actors rest when not onstage, or a room at a television studio where guests wait before going on-camera. It originated in the late 17th century from a room of that color at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane in London.[72]
Greenwashing. Environmental activists sometimes use this term to describe the advertising of a company that promotes its positive environmental practices to cover up its environmental destruction.[128]
Green around the gills. A description of a person who looks physically ill.[129]
Going green. An expression commonly used to refer to preserving the natural environment, and participating in activities such as recycling materials.
Looking green. A description of a person who looks revolted or repulsed.
^Paul Kay and Luisa Maffi, "Color Appearance and the Emergence and Evolution of Basic Color Lexicons",American Anthropologist, March 1999[1]Archived July 6, 2017, at theWayback Machine
^Berlin, Brent; Paul Kay (1999).Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution. The David Hume Series of Philosophy and Cognitive Sciences Reissues (new, revised ed.). Stanford, Cal.: CSLI Publications. pp. 2–3.ISBN978-1-57586-162-3.OCLC807758450.
^Newman, Paul and Martha Ratliff (2001).Linguistic Fieldwork. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,ISBN0-521-66937-5. p. 105.
^Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr; Kammerling, Robert C. (1991).Gemology. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. p. 203.
^abcHolleman, A.F.; Wiberg, E. (2001).Inorganic Chemistry. New York, NY:Academic Press.
^Hoffmeister; Rossman (1985). "A spectroscopic study of irradiation coloring of amazonite; structurally hydrous, Pb-bearing feldspar".American Mineralogist.70:794–804.
^Eva Heller (2000),Psychologie de la couleur – effets et symboliques, pp. 90. 47 percent of respondents surveyed associated green withnature andnatural, 18 percent choosing white. 32 percent associated green withvivacity (20 percent chose yellow), and 40 percent withgood health (20 percent with red)
^Yoon, Hong-Key.The Culture of Feng-Shui in Korea. Lexington: Lexington Books, 2006.ISBN0-7391-1348-8 p. 27
^"Thai birth day colors and buddha image". United States Muay Thai Association Inc. October 16, 2004. Archived fromthe original on January 13, 2010. RetrievedNovember 14, 2009.An innovation of the Ayutthaya period.
^Chamberlin, Vernon A. "Symbolic Green: A Time-Honored Characterizing Device in Spanish Literature."Hispania. 51.1 (Mar 1968) pp. 29–37
^Goldhurst, William. "The Green and the Gold: The Major Theme of Gawain and the Green Knight."College English. 20.2 (Nov 1958) pp. 61–65doi:10.2307/372161
^Carruthers, Bruce G.; Sarah Babb. "The Color of Money and the Nature of Value: Greenbacks and Gold in Postbellum America."The American Journal of Sociology. (May 1996) 101.6 pp. 1556–91
^"Taoiseach.gov.ie"(PDF). Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. RetrievedJanuary 21, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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