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The Semantics of Colour: A Historical Approach

Feb 12

ChRIS CLÉiRIGhbook publication No Comments

Title: The Semantics of Colour
Subtitle: A Historical Approach
Publication Year: 2015
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
http://cambridge.org

Book URL: http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/semantics-and-pragmatics/semantics-colour-historical-approach?format=PB

Author: C. P. Biggam

Paperback: ISBN:  9781107499881 Pages:  Price: U.S. $ 34.99
Paperback: ISBN:  9781107499881 Pages:  Price: U.K. £ 22.99

Abstract:

Human societies name and classify colours in various ways. Knowing this, is it possible to retrieve colour systems from the past? This book presents the basic principles of modern colour semantics, including the recognition of basic vocabulary, subsets, specialised terms and the significance of non-colour features. Each point is illustrated by case studies drawn from modern and historical languages from around the world. These include discussions of Icelandic horses, Peruvian guinea-pigs, medieval roses, the colour yellow in Stuart England, and Polynesian children’s colour terms. Major techniques used in colour research are presented and discussed, such as the evolutionary sequence, Natural Semantic Metalanguage and Vantage Theory. The book also addresses whether we can understand the colour systems of the past, including prehistory, by combining various semantic techniques currently used in both modern and historical colour research with archaeological and environmental information.

1. What is colour?; 2. What is colour semantics?; 3. Basic colour terms; 4. Non-basic and non-standard colour expressions; 5. Basic colour categories; 6. The evolutionary sequence; 7. Different approaches; 8. Historical projects: preliminaries; 9. Synchronic studies; 10. Diachronic studies; 11. Prehistoric colour studies; 12. Applications and potential.