indigo English · revision 1889

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈɪn.dɪˌɡəʊ/, /ˈɪndɪˌɡoʊ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It came into English from several languages at once:^(Barnhart 1995) [[es|índigo]] or ''índico'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) [[pt|endego]]^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and [[nl|indigo]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) All go back to [[la|indicum|t=indigo]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|ἰνδικόν|tr=indikón|t=Indian (dye)]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) neuter of ''indikós'' “Indian”, from ''Indós'' “the Indus River”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) It is related to [[India]] and [[Indian]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The blue dye obtained from certain plants (1555 as ''endego'' in Barnhart and Merriam-Webster, 1550s as ''indico'' in Etymonline).^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The spelling ''indigo'' appeared in the late 16th century (1598)^(Barnhart 1995) and replaced ''indico'' in the 17th.^(Etymonline) The word replaced Middle English ''ynde'' (1296), from Old French ''inde''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The plants yielding the dye were called ''indigo'' from 1600,^(OED 1989) the color from the 1620s,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and Newton named it in 1704 as one of the colors of the spectrum, between blue and violet.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The adjective is recorded from 1856.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1296 – Middle English ''ynde'', indigo pigment.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1555 – ''endego'', the dye.^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1598 – the spelling ''indigo''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1600 – the indigo plant.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1622 – the color.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1704 – a color of the spectrum (Newton).^(Etymonline)

+ * 1856 – adjective.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A blue [[dye]] obtained from certain plants or made synthetically.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Any of various plants of the [[pea]] family yielding this dye, or related plants.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A deep violet-blue color, lying between blue and [[violet]] in the [[spectrum]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a deep violet-blue color.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[indigo blue]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[India]]

+ * [[Indian]]

+ * [[aniline]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}