purple

The story

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromπορφύρα“purple-fish”
2. Latin · derived frompurpura“purple dye, shellfish”
3. Old English · derived frompurpure“purple colour”
4. Old English · inherited frompurpul“purple”
5. Middle English · inherited frompurple
6. English todaypurple

From Middle English purple, purpel, from Old English purpul (“purple”, adjective), taken from Old English purpure (“purple colour”, noun), from Latin purpura (“purple dye, shellfish”), from Ancient Greek πορφύρα (porphúra, “purple-fish”), perhaps of Semitic origin. Doublet of purpura and purpure. The sense of "imperial power" is from the wearing of the color purple by emperors and kings.

Words from the same roots