Saturday, July 12, 2008

verdigris is my favorite color


by Sandy ~ 1:32 PM

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4 comments:

KSZ said...

Hello :)

verdigris... cue !
btw > "vert-de-gris" ~ green-from-grey

best wishes,
Kelekgtevayz

August 11, 2008 3:42 PM
Sandy said...

also:

[Origin: 1250–1300; < MF vert de gris; r. ME vertegrez < AF vert de Grece, OF vere grez green of Greece]

August 11, 2008 4:22 PM
KSZ said...

Or...
vertegrez may come from:
OF vert-aigret < vert aigri = embittered green = green produced by acidity

i wonder if this "vert de Grèce" has ever come from Greece
?

Best wishes
--
~("|°-())-klk>

August 11, 2008 6:59 PM
Sandy said...

And yet another's opinion:

"Verdigris is a perfectly good English word. It refers to the green patina that forms on copper, brass and bronze after long exposure to the atmosphere -- the Statue of Liberty being an iconic example. At first glance, you might think it comes from the French or Italian for gray-green (verdi [green] + gris [gray]) -- and apparently R&K thought so, at least judging from the scan, which ... certainly looks gray-green here (and is described as such in some sales material, e.g., http://www.penboard.de/shop/shoplist.php?ma=rohrer&la=en) -- but you'd be wrong. The dictionary says the derivation is from "vert-de-Grice", French for "green of Greece", i.e., a much lighter, Mediterranean green."

As fun as words may be to some, I simply like the color. :)

August 11, 2008 8:21 PM

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