The word “orange” is used to describe both a color and a fruit. This often leads to the question – which came first, the orange fruit or the orange color? Many people assume the fruit was named first, but the history behind the word orange suggests the color was named first. Let’s take a closer look at the origins and timeline of the word orange to find out whether the fruit or color got the name first.
The Etymology of “Orange”
The word “orange” has its roots in ancient languages like Sanskrit and Tamil. In both languages, the word naranga referred to a fruit tree that produced bitter fruits. As the languages evolved, the word made its way via Persian into Arabic as naranj. When the word entered European languages in the Middle Ages, it referred specifically to the bitter orange fruit that was brought over from India via the Middle East.
The first recorded uses of “orange” in English date back to the 1300s. In Old English, the word was spelt more like narangæs or naronges. At this time, the word orange only referred to the fruit and tree.
The Color Orange
While the fruit orange has been known for centuries, the use of “orange” to refer specifically to a color is much more recent. In Old English, the color orange was described as ġeolurēad for reddish-yellow or as simply ġeolu for yellow.
The word “orange” gradually began being associated with thereddish-yellow color of the fruit. In the 1500s, people started referring to the orange color as the fruit orange. The use of “orange” as a color came into practice as a way to distinguish it from yellow.
In the 17th century, orange became established as a color name in English. The earliest known recorded use of “orange” referring explicitly to the color is from 1512. An inventory of King Henry VIII’s wardrobe from that year lists “A longe gowne of blacke orange tawny cloth…”
Color Orange Before Fruit Orange
Based on the etymology and earliest uses, the evidence strongly indicates the color orange got that name first, and then the fruit was later named after the pre-existing color.
The fruit that came from Southeast Asia was originally just called an “apple” (naranj). When that fruit made its way west, the name shifted to orange. But at that time,orange still referred to the fruit, not the color.
The need to differentiate the red-yellow hue from plain yellow led to the color being called orange to associate it with the fruit. So while the fruit orange has been around for many centuries, the use of the word “orange” to refer to the color came later.
Widespread Use of Color Orange
Once the color was established as orange in the 17th century, it quickly gained popularity. In the 18th century, the triad of primary colors was standardized as red, yellow, and blue. The secondary colors in between were orange, green and violet. Orange became recognized as a distinct, named color.
The rise of fashion and clothing dye helped solidify orange as a color name people used regularly. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women’s clothing and fashion accessories were made in a variety of colors, including vibrant oranges.
As dye-making and industrial manufacturing improved, paints and pigments also expanded the reach of the orange color. The vibrant, reddish-yellow color was useful for painting, design, and signaling. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, orange secured its place as a staple color.
Conclusion
In summary, the evidence shows the sequence of events to be:
1. The fruit was called naranga and similar names in ancient languages.
2. When the fruit spread to Europe by the Middle Ages, the name became orange.
3. Orange at this time only referred to the fruit, not the color.
4. The need to distinguish reddish-yellow from yellow led people to start calling the color orange to associate it with the fruit.
5. By the 17th century, orange was established as a color name in English.
So while the fruit came first, the use of “orange” to refer specifically to the color preceded the word’s exclusive association with the fruit. The color was named after the fruit to help differentiate it from yellow. So in the battle of fruit versus color for the name, the color orange wins!
