‘Był człowiekiem czerwonych przekonań’, ‘na volitvah so zmagali zeleni’: Colour Metaphors and Symbols

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the metaphorical use of colour terms (CTs), with a special focus on the Slavonic languages. The metaphorical use of CTs is derived from their literal sense. Basic CTs are the most likely to occur in metaphorical use. In Sl folklore, RED is the colour par excellence, opposed to BLACK and WHITE. RED had both positive and negative associations. WHITE and BLACK relate to such oppositions as good – bad, happy – unhappy, healthy – sickly, hardworking – lazy. GREY designates gloom, both literally and figuratively, while YELLOW often symbolizes betrayal and cowardice. In many languages GREEN means ‘inexperienced’, but also ‘spritely’. Anger is associated with different colours, while envy is imagined as causing a person to go blue or green. Bachilinia considers Ru goluboj to have positive connotations but sinij to be neutral. Many metaphorical or phraseological uses of CTs are internationalisms. In many cultures and in many countries, CTs have been used to denote points of the compass.