Re: "Orange"

From: Skitt (skitt99_at_comcast.net)
Date: 09/05/04 

Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 13:41:54 -0700

Igor Sklar wrote:
> "Paul J Kriha" wrote
>> Igor Sklar wrote
>>> juuitchan@hotmail.com wrote

>>>> What was the color orange called before the West discovered
>>>> oranges?
>>>>
>>>> Even Polish names the color after the fruit (or appears to).
>>>
>>> What about Pol. rudy? The word is akin to Russ. rudyi, Lith raudas
>>> and
>>> Eng red.
>>>
>>> In Russia, there were two principal "pre-orange" words: 'ryzhiy',
>>> still applied to foxes and red hair, and 'zharkoy', the colour of
>>> glowing embers.
>>
>> Is R. <ryzhij> a cognate of <rzhavyj> (rusty)?
>
> Yes, it is. Other Russian cognates include ruda ('ore'), rdet' ('to
> redden'), redryi ('yellowish red'). Cf Russ. redryi and Sans. rudhiras
> ('crimson'). All these words ascend to PIE *reudh- ('red').
>
>> In Cz a redhead can be <rezavy'> or more often <zrzavy'>.
>> (the leading z- is a prefix signifying a change of status or form).
>> AFAIK <rezavy'> is related to <rezivy'> (rusty) and <rez> (rust).
>> I believe <zrzavy'> is also a cognate and all these are cognates
>> of the above R.<ryzhij> and R.<rzhavyj>. Any comments, anybody?
>
> Russ. rzha ('rust'), Ukr. irzha, Bulg. r'zhda, Old Czech rze, Pol.
> rdza <- Old Slavic *r'dia ('rust').
>
> Russ. ryzhyi ('red-haired'), Ukr. rizhiy, OSC ryzhd, Slov ridz, Czech
> ryzi, Pol. rydzy <- Old Slavic *rydj' ('red hair').
>
> Both Slavic roots are akin to Lith rudis ('rust'), MHG rot ('rust'),
> Lith rudas ('reddish brown'), Lat ruber ('red'), Eng. rust, red, &c
> [Vasmer, III, 480].

Does "Lat" stand for Latvian? If so, I'm not aware of "ruber" as a Latvian
word. The word for "red" is "sarkans" or "sarkana", depending on gender.
"Rust" (the noun) is "rūsa". 

-- 
Skitt (AUE's token Latvian)