Color words are fascinating because they provide insight into how different cultures and languages divide up the visible color spectrum. The Korean language, in particular, has sparked debate over whether it contains a word for the color blue. While many claim Korean lacks a basic term for blue, a closer examination reveals a more complex picture.
The Origins of the Claim
The idea that Korean does not have a word for blue originated in scholarly debates about color terminology. In 1969, linguist Brent Berlin and psychologist Paul Kay published a landmark study on color naming across languages. Their research suggested all cultures evolve color words in a fixed sequence, starting with black and white, then red, followed by green or yellow, and finally blue. According to Berlin and Kay, if a language has a word for green, it always has a word for blue, but not vice versa. This implicates blue as a later stage in color vocabulary development.
Berlin and Kay concluded that ancient Korean did not have a word for blue and instead used a single term, chorok, to cover both green and blue. Chorok derives from the Chinese loanword qīng, meaning green or blue. Their findings led many to believe that modern Korean still lacks a basic term for blue.
The Case for a Korean Word for Blue
However, Berlin and Kay’s analysis relied solely on a Korean-English dictionary published in 1938. Modern linguistic research has produced a more nuanced perspective on Korean color words.
Korean actually contains two words that can translate to blue. The first word is parang, which refers specifically to the color of the sky. It contrasts with chorok, which denotes darker shades of blue and green. Parang appears in ancient Korean texts, demonstrating it is not a new or borrowed term. Additionally, native Korean speakers readily produce parang when asked to name colors on a spectrum.
This indicates parang has the characteristics Berlin and Kay attributed to a basic color term. Their criteria specify such words:
- Are monolexemic, or single words as opposed to phrases
- Are psychologically salient and common in everyday language
- Have broad application across different object types
Parang satisfies these prerequisites for a basic color word. Modern linguistic studies also reveal chorok is falling out of usage, with Koreans increasingly making a distinction between blue and green. This active separation reinforces parang as the term for blue.
The Distinction Between Parang and Namil
Critics counter that parang specifically denotes light or sky blue, while general terms for darker blues are lacking in Korean. It is true the Korean lexicon contains another basic color word, namil, covering deeper blues like navy and indigo. However, parang remains the primary term for blue in general usage.
The existence of namil does not negate parang as a word for blue any more than the existence of crimson negates red in English. Berlin and Kay never claimed languages must have a single undifferentiated term for a color category. Multiple basic words can fall under the same color heading.
Blue in Modern Korean
| English Term | Korean Translation |
|---|---|
| Blue | parang |
| Navy blue | namil |
| Sky blue | sorang |
This table shows how modern Korean divides the blue spectrum across three basic color words. Parang serves as the dominant term for blue, sorang denotes lighter shades, and namil covers darker hues verging into indigo. The existence of additional basic terms does not negate parang as the Korean word for blue.
Linguistic research indicates parang fulfills the criteria for a basic color term on par with the English word blue. Native Korean speakers readily produce parang when asked to identify colors in the blue range. Descriptions of parang also consistently reference blue objects like the sky, sapphires, or blueberries across different time periods.
Blue in Ancient Korean Texts
Further evidence for an ancient Korean word for blue comes from analyzing classical texts. The Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, contains multiple references to parang dating back to the 13th century:
“The King was happy and ordered a parang box to keep his ink slab”
“Thread dyed in parang colors was used to weave a coronet”
These excerpts illustrate parang denoting blue in a way consistent with usage in modern Korean. Looking across sources from different eras substantiates parang as an enduring basic color term in Korean.
Chorok as a Separate Term
Chorok also appears throughout classical Korean texts, demonstrating it constituted a distinct word rather than an umbrella term for green and blue. The two colors show clear differentiation in the following passage from the 13th century Samguk Yusa:
“The silk was dyed evenly in five colors: yellow, red, chorok, purple, and black”
This excerpt lists chorok alongside other basic color words like red and black instead of using it as a broad term for green and blue. The presence of both parang and chorok in classical Korean reinforces that the language has maintained distinct words for blue and green.
When Chorok Denotes Blue
Chorok is still occasionally used to mean blue in modern Korean, but this reflects changing connotations rather than an absence of basic terms. Chorok covers darker greens verging into teal and azure. When translating texts that use blue to represent negative imagery, chorok may be selected over parang to better match the nuance.
Additionally, chorok appears in set phrases that resist change over time. For instance, taepung chorok means "ocean blue." Even as parang has become the dominant standalone word for blue, chorok persists in certain fixed expressions.
Parang and Blue-Green Distinction
The use of chorok to denote blue in certain contexts does not constitute definitive proof of lacking a basic word. Swedish also uses the term grön to cover blue-green hues in some phrases, yet has the basic word blå for blue. This similarity demonstrates how chorok’s double meaning likely derives from common color term evolution.
Korean culture clearly valued blue from ancient times, as evidenced by numerous blue pigments and dyes. It holds highly improbable the language lacked a term to describe something so pervasive in artifacts. While chorok once covered both green and blue, parang has emerged as the distinctive word for blue in Korean.
Blue in Korean Culture
Beyond linguistics, the cultural footprint of blue in Korea confirms its status as a recognized color. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of blue pigments used in ancient Korean pottery glazing from 3000 BCE onwards. Specific blue dyes such as noksaek and cham show extensive use in Korea’s textile arts.
Blue ceramics and architecture also have a long heritage across Korea. The Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) produced high quality blue celadon pottery which was widely traded. Blue roof tiles and painted woodwork adorned temples and palaces, demonstrating blue’s cultural significance.
Modern Recognition of Blue
Modern Korean culture and traditions continue to incorporate the color blue. Contemporary architects make extensive use of blue glass in modern buildings such as the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Lotte World Tower. Blue roof tiles still feature on the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.
The national soccer team wears blue uniforms, and support slogans include "Be the Reds!" using blue text. K-pop idol groups like BTS frequently use blue in their official colors and merchandise. On the Korean flag, the Taegeuk symbol is rendered in red and parang.
This cultural visibility contradicts claims that Korean lacks a basic awareness of blue. While usage of color terms evolves over time, Koreans clearly recognized blue as a distinct category.
Conclusion
In summary, the Korean language includes the basic color term parang denoting blue. While chorok once covered blue-green hues, parang emerged as the primary word for blue and evidence suggests a distinction between blue and green in ancient Korean. Additionally, the visibility of blue in Korean art and culture dispels the myth of it being an unnamed or unfamiliar color category.
Linguistic development traces a clear trajectory of parang separating from chorok over time. This accompanies a growing salience of blue as a color category in Korean life. Claims that Korean lacks an abstract concept of blue contradict both linguistic studies and cultural records. Exploring the past and present vocabulary dispels misconceptions and reveals the true depth of color perception embedded in the language.