Why does "colorado" mean red?
Our dictionary says "colorado" means red? But colorar is to dye or color so why is it red, and not just "colored"? Gracias.
6 Answers
Just looking at Amy's pictures and hazarding a guess it probably does come from 'colorear' to colour - the latin being something very similar no doubt. Originally i guess most dyeing or 'colouring' of things would have been done with natural products such as the red dirt???
This may not answer your question, but I live in Colorado, and let me tell you there are giant red rocks sticking up everywhere! The Native Americans called this place the Garden of the Gods, it is a park in Colorado Springs:
Just continuing Kiwi Girl's thought...not sure what is has to do with colorado meaning red, but more with earth pigments...
Ochre or Ocher (pronounced /?o?k?r/ OH-k?r, from the Greek ?????, ?khrós, pale) is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as Red ochre. The more rarely used terms Purple ochre and Brown ochre also exist for variant hues. Because of these other hues, the color Ochre is sometimes referred to as Yellow ochre or Gold ochre.
Ochres are among the earliest pigments used by mankind, derived from naturally tinted clay containing mineral oxides. Chemically, it is hydrated iron (III) oxide. Modern artists' pigments continue to use the terms Yellow ochre and Red ochre for specific hues.
Colorar no existe... Colorear (to color) and Teñir (to dye)... Colorado se usa en algunos países en lugar de rojo. Ej. Te pones colorado (rojo) o te enrojeces cuando te echo broma o tienes vergüenza.
Maybe Lazarus can illustrate us with the etymology, but in many countries the word for red is colorado. I grew up with "rojo". Likewise "prieto" is sometimes used for "black", instead of "negro. "
As with fruits, different countries may have different ways to name their colors.
En mi trabajo oigo "colorado" con referencia a ponerse colorado así como la temperatura de carne. ¡Colorado es el estado más bello de los Estados Unidos!
