Re: English colour verbs (was: Adjectives, Adverbs, Ad...)

Staving Tim May:
>John Cowan wrote at 2004-03-16 07:28:31 (-0500)
>  > Philippe Caquant scripsit:
>  >
>  > > In French, [stative color] verbs don't exist, AFAIK. There are
>  > > verbs meaning "to become red" (rougir), or blue (bleuir), or
>  > > green (verdir) etc.
>  >
>  > In English this is lexically determined: redden, whiten, blacken;
>  > green, yellow, purple (no suffix); but blue and brown cannot form
>  > causative forms at all.
>  >
>
>Mmmm, I don't agree with all of this.  "To blue" is to my knowledge only
>found as a technical term in metalworking, but I think "to brown" has
>more general applicability;  it's principally used in the kitchen, but
>I find it acceptable for e.g. the action of the sun on skin.  By
>contrast, I'm not sure I can think of an example where I'd find "to
>purple" natural.


Vespasian's legions purpled their general.

Pete

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