The Sciences

The Color Blue is Actually a Relatively Recent Hue to Humans

Dive into humanity’s surprisingly short history with the color blue, and discover whether that history is a result of our vision or our vocabulary.

By Max BennettMay 27, 2024 8:00 AM
White Beach in Ithaca Island, Greece
Despite the blue seas and skies of Greece, the ancient Greeks lacked a word for "blue." (Credit: hydra viridis)

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Why so blue? This most calming color has woven itself into the fabric of our language, and it’s hard to imagine a world without the azure hue of the ocean or sky. However, there’s some evidence to suggest that the people of the past didn’t see the same world that we do, or, at least, didn’t describe it in the same way.

Historical records in various languages, from ancient Greek to ancient Hebrew, make no explicit references to blue, despite having terms for other hues like black and red. Its absence from these records suggest that the color may have simply come out of the blue.


Read More: The Meaning of Colors


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