From cbmvax!uunet!CUVMA.BITNET!LOJBAN Tue Sep 24 00:52:28 1991 Return-Path: Date: Tue Sep 24 00:52:28 1991 Message-Id: <9109240147.AA26459@relay1.UU.NET> Reply-To: cbmvax!uunet!otago.ac.nz!pucc.PRINCETON.EDU!chandley Sender: Lojban list From: Chris Handley Subject: Colour words X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan , Eric Raymond , Eric Tiedemann Status: RO Bruce writes > Now, my own usage of the term "purple" is probably closer to > Dave's than to Chris's, but Chris's usage seems to be the one used > by color theorists (as he states). I would probably refer to the > "purples" of color theory as "magenta" -- but I think also that > most people's "red" includes some magentas and that their "orange" > could often include what color theorists call "red." > Any comments? Th neat thing about use of aids such as the CIE diagram is that it gives a consistent context within which to talk about colours, and to plot relationships between colours, hues, saturation, complementarity, etc. Incidentally shows why 30-colour theories for either the production or perception of colour are fatally flawed. As to magenta, this has, or should have a precise meaning. Along with cyan and yellow, it is one of the three complementary colours to the ubiquitous red, green and blue of most modern colour production. As such it can be found very easily on a colour diagram - locate the points corresponding to your favourite versions of blue and red, (specs for these are available), join them to white, bisect the angle between them and project that line to the periphery. That point will be magenta in your system. To misquote JC Superstar "We both have magenta, is mine tha same as yours?" Chris Handley chandley@otago.ac.nz Dept of Computer Science Ph (+64) 3-479-8499 University of Otago Fax (+64) 3-479-8577 Dunedin, NZ