The Stories That Colours Tell

The Stories That Colours Tell

Design isn’t just visual—it’s linguistic, ancestral, and symbolic.

I came across this chart mapping the etymology of colour names, and the hidden stories genuinely struck me. Colours we use every day—scarlet, viridian, sienna, chartreuse—each carries with it the echo of languages, places, and people long gone.

Indigo, for instance, traces its roots to India—its name a quiet nod to ancient trade routes and the preciousness of natural dye. Crimson once meant “worm-colored,” because the pigment was harvested from insects. And Fuchsia isn’t just a vivid hue, but a tribute to a German botanist whose name now blooms in petals and paint.

These aren’t just shades—they’re relics. Echoes. Codes.

As a designer and a frequency-based thinker, I find this profoundly beautiful: that something as simple as a name can carry memory, origin, and vibration.

Let this be a reminder: even in colour, nothing is accidental.

Delahrose