Colors in Sherall

Instead of finishing the translation that I've been working since before
the relay, I decided to work on something simpler: Sherall colors. And
then I made it much more complex.

First: does anyone know of a computer-readable Yiddish-English
dictionary? I'm trying to base Sherall off Yiddish, but the script keeps
getting in the way. If I had something computer readable that I could
run a transliterator on, it would help greatly.

Humans have three different types of color receptors in the eyes: blue
at 450±50 µm, green at 560±80, and red at 600±60. Sherall, as
genetically engineered humans, were intended to have a similar system
adapted towards the infared red. Unfortunately, two such systems (Xärol
and Xaðe, named after the sherall sisters who did the first studies in
the subject) were created, and when sherall with different systems
interbred, various forms of color blindness appeared. (The Sherall have
no term for "color blindness", as there's no reference point to seperate
the color blind, color normal and color abundant*, like in human society.
Instead, Sherall terms in the area refer to which colors you can
distinguish.)

* Yes, there are some humans that can see more then 3 primary colors.
Apparently not many, though.

The primary Sherall colors:

English: Originating language, Sherall term
Black: Y. shvarts Sh. ðash shðars
White: Y. väs Sh. ðash hïte (from the Eƞliŝ)
Blue: Y. blu, Sh. ðash sll·lu
Red: G. rot Sh. ðash roþ
Green: G. grün Sh.ðash grün
Indigo: E/F. indigo Sh. ðash inðigo

Xaðe sll·lu is 480±60 µm, grün is 580±60, and roþ is 660±60. (Of course,
the overlap produces different colors, like our yellow; but see the note
below.) Xarol inðigo is 440±50 µm, sll·lu is 515±60, grün is 615±65, and
roþ 680±40. Roughly 15% of the population only have recepitors for Xaðe
roþ and Xarol roþ, but many combinations are seen, with pure Xarol and
pure Xaðe coming in at 10% and 5%.

Sherall is rather sparse on common terms for mixed colors. (It is the
English of its era, in many ways; the terms it has, but not in common
use). There's just not enough consesus on what colors are pure and
easily distinguished to make color an important part of sherall culture.
They don't use colors to convey information as a general rule, because
of this.

--
David Starner - dvdeug@email.ro
WWVTSD: What would Vash the Stampede do?

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