25 Jun 2014, 20:11
Sort of on topic, is the blue/green problem connected with Chinese (and Japanese) languages formerly using the same word for what western languages regard as two different colours?
I've even seen 'qing', meaning green or blue translated as 'grue' before now.
Apparently a green traffic light is still called a blue light in Japan too,
I've even seen 'qing', meaning green or blue translated as 'grue' before now.
Quote:青 (qīng) — its pronounced “ching”, not “kwing” or “king” — is an interesting color that doesn’t appear in the standard set of colors commonly identified in western cultures.
Some people (Chinese included) say it’s a sort of blue, while others say it’s part of the green family. There is actually no right-or-wrong with these ideas. Technically qing is a color that sits anywhere in between blue and green. You can call it green, blue, green-ish blue or blue-ish green, and not be thought of as being odd.
Adding a little more interest to this unique Chinese-only color, qing may include some grey. So qing can also be described as greenish-grey blue, or bluish-green grey, or any other combination of these shades.
Apparently a green traffic light is still called a blue light in Japan too,
