Purple
This word is probably originally from a Semitic language (related to Hebrew and Arabic) spoken by the Phoenicians, an ancient Mediterranian people famous for creating a far-reaching trade empire, building the amazing cities of Tyre and Carthage, sailing all the way around Africa, inventing the alphabet (not just an alphabet, but the alphabet, from which all others were derived or inspired), and of course killing harmless shellfish… to create purple dye.
Purple dye for coloring clothing was sufficiently rare and expensive in the old days that only royalty could afford it; this is why purple is associated with royalty. For a long time, the source of the purple dye was the Phoenicians’ secret, and the only purple clothing available anywhere came from them.
No one knows exactly what the Phoenicians called the hapless shellfish that was the foundation of their fortunes, but its name was borrowed into Greek as porphyra (also the origin of the English word porphyry). This became purpura in Latin, and purple in English. (The last “r” changed to an “l” through the rare process of dissimilation, in which a sound changes so that it is more distinguishable from other sounds.)
Purple is infused with a powerful, relaxed (short “u”) energy (”r”), concentrating energies at a particular point (”p”). Could this indicate the concentration of power in a monarchy? The second syllable consists of “p” plus a syllabic “l” (i.e. “l” acting as a vowel), meaning perhaps that the concentrated point’s energies are diffused into a shapeless passivity.
Thanks to Jessa for suggesting this word of the day!
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
How intersting that this was the word that stuck out for me so much in the meditation we discussed.
: )
I realize that’s an “inside” comment, and not likely provide much insight for anyone else reading.
But one of the things I’m most enjoying about being a subscriber to your Word of the Day is watching the synchronicities that unfold between words that are on my mind on a given day and those you choose to address.
There is a prophetic synergy here. Very exciting.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:38 am
My favourite colour… rare, expensive and fit only for royalty…
May 24th, 2007 at 3:11 am
Slade, I’m glad you’re getting synergistic synchronistic prophetic lexicographic happy stuff! Don’t hesitate to share!
Kara-Leah, I may have to see if I can change the color my brain associates with you from green to purple… I’ve never tried to change someone’s color before…
By the way — how DO you pronounce your name? Does “Leah” have one syllable or two? And is “Kara”’s stressed syllable like “car” or “care”?
May 24th, 2007 at 5:02 am
Ah… my name.
Interesting factoid…. my family always prounced my name as ‘Car - a - Lee’, but with my Mum’s Canadian accent is was a little more like ‘Care - a - Lee’, and then when I was 15 my best friend took a hard look at the spelling and announced it’s ‘Car - a - Lee - a’, and I liked that, so it was…
And now my Mum has, after 29 years, has changed the way she pronounces my name, and it sounds odd coming from her… but the correct pronounciation is as above: ‘Car-a-Lee-a’.
I like the rhythm.
Incidentally, my Mum (Mary Lou - how’s that for North American…) made up my name. She liked ‘Kara’, but thought it sounded too hard… so she added Leah (from the Bible story of Rachel and Leah) to soften it… and I think she was bang on.
I HATE being called Kara. It’s just all wrong. K-L is cool. It still has that combination of strength and softness…
Which is why I love these word of the days, because you look at the way words sound too… rhythm is everything.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:57 am
It is a lovely name, Kara-Leah! Thanks for sharing those details.
May 25th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Thank you for the story about purple, I never knew those things! It will be just a bit of trivia that I am going to pass on to others!