"colour" meaning in Middle English

See colour in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kuˈluːr/, /ˈkulur/ Forms: colours [plural], colur [alternative], color [alternative], culur [alternative], coler [alternative], coloure [alternative], kolour [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur, from Latin color. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|xno|colur}} Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur, {{der|enm|la|color}} Latin color Head templates: {{head|enm|nouns|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} colour, {{enm-noun|pl2=colours}} colour (plural colours or colours)
  1. colour, hue, shade
    Sense id: en-colour-enm-noun-iA1tt14X Categories (other): Heraldry Disambiguation of Heraldry: 25 25 25 25
  2. pigment, dye (substance for colouring)
    Sense id: en-colour-enm-noun-TP6Gafus Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Heraldry Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 8 60 10 21 Disambiguation of Heraldry: 25 25 25 25
  3. method (literary or rhetorical)
    Sense id: en-colour-enm-noun-ytzdBbZS Categories (other): Heraldry Disambiguation of Heraldry: 25 25 25 25
  4. justification, explanation (often feigned)
    Sense id: en-colour-enm-noun-21hUFo1f Categories (other): Heraldry Disambiguation of Heraldry: 25 25 25 25
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "color",
            "3": "colour"
          },
          "expansion": "English: color, colour",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: color, colour"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "colour"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: colour",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: colour"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "colur"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "color"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin color",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur, from Latin color.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "colours",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "colur",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "color",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "culur",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coler",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coloure",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kolour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "colour",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "pl2": "colours"
      },
      "expansion": "colour (plural colours or colours)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "whit"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "grey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "hor"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "blak"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "red"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cremesyn"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "gernet"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "citrine"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "aumbre"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "broun"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "tawne"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "yelow"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "dorry"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "gul"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "canevas"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "grasgrene"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "grene"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "plunket"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "ewage"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "asure"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "livid"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "blewe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "blo"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "pers"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "violet"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "inde"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "rose"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "murrey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "purpel"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "purpur"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "claret"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "25 25 25 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Heraldry",
          "orig": "enm:Heraldry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "colour, hue, shade"
      ],
      "id": "en-colour-enm-noun-iA1tt14X",
      "links": [
        [
          "colour",
          "colour#English"
        ],
        [
          "hue",
          "hue"
        ],
        [
          "shade",
          "shade"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 60 10 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 25 25 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Heraldry",
          "orig": "enm:Heraldry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "pigment, dye (substance for colouring)"
      ],
      "id": "en-colour-enm-noun-TP6Gafus",
      "links": [
        [
          "pigment",
          "pigment"
        ],
        [
          "dye",
          "dye"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "25 25 25 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Heraldry",
          "orig": "enm:Heraldry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "method (literary or rhetorical)"
      ],
      "id": "en-colour-enm-noun-ytzdBbZS",
      "links": [
        [
          "method",
          "method"
        ],
        [
          "literary",
          "literary"
        ],
        [
          "rhetorical",
          "rhetorical"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "25 25 25 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Heraldry",
          "orig": "enm:Heraldry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "justification, explanation (often feigned)"
      ],
      "id": "en-colour-enm-noun-21hUFo1f",
      "links": [
        [
          "justification",
          "justification"
        ],
        [
          "explanation",
          "explanation"
        ],
        [
          "feign",
          "feign#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kuˈluːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkulur/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "colour"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Heraldry"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "color",
            "3": "colour"
          },
          "expansion": "English: color, colour",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: color, colour"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "colour"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: colour",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: colour"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "colur"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "color"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin color",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Anglo-Norman colur, from Latin color.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "colours",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "colur",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "color",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "culur",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coler",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "coloure",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kolour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "colour",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "pl2": "colours"
      },
      "expansion": "colour (plural colours or colours)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "whit"
    },
    {
      "word": "grey"
    },
    {
      "word": "hor"
    },
    {
      "word": "blak"
    },
    {
      "word": "red"
    },
    {
      "word": "cremesyn"
    },
    {
      "word": "gernet"
    },
    {
      "word": "citrine"
    },
    {
      "word": "aumbre"
    },
    {
      "word": "broun"
    },
    {
      "word": "tawne"
    },
    {
      "word": "yelow"
    },
    {
      "word": "dorry"
    },
    {
      "word": "gul"
    },
    {
      "word": "canevas"
    },
    {
      "word": "grasgrene"
    },
    {
      "word": "grene"
    },
    {
      "word": "plunket"
    },
    {
      "word": "ewage"
    },
    {
      "word": "asure"
    },
    {
      "word": "livid"
    },
    {
      "word": "blewe"
    },
    {
      "word": "blo"
    },
    {
      "word": "pers"
    },
    {
      "word": "violet"
    },
    {
      "word": "inde"
    },
    {
      "word": "rose"
    },
    {
      "word": "murrey"
    },
    {
      "word": "purpel"
    },
    {
      "word": "purpur"
    },
    {
      "word": "claret"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "colour, hue, shade"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "colour",
          "colour#English"
        ],
        [
          "hue",
          "hue"
        ],
        [
          "shade",
          "shade"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "pigment, dye (substance for colouring)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pigment",
          "pigment"
        ],
        [
          "dye",
          "dye"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "method (literary or rhetorical)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "method",
          "method"
        ],
        [
          "literary",
          "literary"
        ],
        [
          "rhetorical",
          "rhetorical"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "justification, explanation (often feigned)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "justification",
          "justification"
        ],
        [
          "explanation",
          "explanation"
        ],
        [
          "feign",
          "feign#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kuˈluːr/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkulur/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "colour"
}

Download raw JSONL data for colour meaning in Middle English (2.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-08-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-08-02 using wiktextract (0c45963 and 3c020d2). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.