The names of colours in the students’ language

Eliza Tarary

Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy

Abstract

The article attempts to present how students conceptualize the names of primary colours. The research has been carried out among students of the Casmir the Great University in Bydgoszcz. Eleven names of primary colours distinguished by Berlin and Kay, i.e. white, black, red, green, yellow, blue, brown, violet, pink, orange and grey, have been analyzed. References modelling the perception of individual colours provided by the students belong to both natural object, artefacts and feelings. Black and red colours have received the most elaborated set of associations. On the other hand, white, black, green, blue and orange have mainly natural points of reference, e.g. ‘snow’, ‘grass’, ‘sky’ or ‘an orange’, for approximately two thirds of the respondents.

Keywords:

students, names of colours, conceptualization, Polish language