What Is the Greek Word for Color

I've attempted to put together an Ancient Greek color palette (see image reference), which I realize can never be totally precise and is likely a mixed bag of anachronisms. I've already received some great advice on another forum. So I thought I'd cross-post it here to share and hopefully get more advice/feedback.

I've based my color choices off of various definitions and descriptions from different sources. Here's the general framework that I'm working around. All adjectival forms are neuter à la Modern Greek (matching with τὸ χρῶμα).

Here are my 2 ultimate goals with this little project:

1 - Come up with specific colors (or color spectra) that represent (with a reasonable degree of accuracy/objectivity) the descriptions we encounter in Greek texts in order to visualize (with a reasonable degree of accuracy/objectivity) what various authors had in mind (without consideration for symbolism and metaphor).

2 - Be able to label colors (or color spectra) in the real world (with a reasonable degree of accuracy/objectivity) using the available Ancient Greek terms in a way that might comport with how an ancient would label them, hypothetically.

Here's my main reference (aside from various lexicons), which I footnote: http://imbs.uci.edu/~kjameson/ECST/Warb ... gories.pdf

BLACK
1. μέλαν / μελανόν / μελάγχιμον - very black, dark, murky
2. κελαινόν - black, dark, murky, swarthy (race), metallic black
3. ἐρεμνόν - murky

GRAY
1. πολιόν - (like λευκόν) gray hair, bright, clear, hoary (from age)
2. φαιόν - dusky, dun

WHITE
1. λευκόν - white, bright
2. λευκανθές - white-blossoming, blanched/bleached

RED
1. οἶνοψ - (Epic) wine-colored
2. καρύκινον - crimson, scarlet-colored, from κόκκος a kernel, the grain or berry of the ilex coccifera; these berries are the clusters of eggs of a female insect, the kermes ((cf. English carmine, crimson)), and when collected and pulverized produce a red which was used in dyeing, Pliny, h. n. 9, 41, 65; 16, 8, 12; 24, 4)
3. φοινόν - blood-red
4. ἐρυθρόν - the color of nectar and wine, blood, copper, gold
5. κόκκινον - (later) scarlet,

ORANGE
1. πυρρόν / πυρσόν / πύρινον - flame-colored, yellowish-red

YELLOW
1. ξουθόν - yellowish, brown-yellow, tawny
2. μήλινον - quince-yellow
3. θειῶδες - sulphureous; of colour, yellow (sulfur-colored)
4. ξανθόν - various shades of golden hair, blonde

GREEN
1. χλωρόν (χλοερόν) - greenish-yellow, pale-green, light-green, grassy, yellow (of honey/sand), (generally) pale, bleached
2. πράσινον - leek-green, light green

BLUΕ
1. γλαυκόν - (later) bluish green or grey (of the olive); light blue (eyes), grey
2. χαροπόν - (later) light-blue or bluish-gray; bright eye color
3. κυανοῦν / κυάνεον / κύανον - dark-blue, glossy-blue (sea); dark, black; brunette

PURPLE
1. ὑακίνθινον - blackish-red, blackish-blue
2. ἰόεν (masc. - ἰόεις) - dark purple/violet
3. ἁλουργές - sea-purple, genuine purple
4. πορφυροῦν / πορφύρεον - dark-red, crimson
5. ὄρφνινον - brownish gray, a mix of black, red & white
6. φοινικοῦν / φοινίκεον / φοῖνιξ - purple-red, crimson (Phoenician/Tyrian purple)
7. ῥόδινον - rose colored, pink

Based on Xenophon, I've added "καρύκινον" to the 'dark-red' section and added a more purple hue to "ὄρφνινον" - since the brownish color I had looked out of place between "πορφυροῦν" and "φοινικοῦν".

That does seem to be the implication in Xenophon's "Cyropaedia" (8.3.3) -

ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῖς κρατίστοις διέδωκε τὰς καλλίστας στολάς, ἐξέφερε δὴ καὶ ἄλλας Μηδικὰς στολάς, παμπόλλας γὰρ παρεσκευάσατο, οὐδὲν φειδόμενος οὔτε πορφυρίδων οὔτε ὀρφνίνων οὔτε φοινικίδων οὔτε καρυκίνων ἱματίων.

And when he had distributed among the noblest the most beautiful garments, he brought out other Median robes, for he had had a great many made, with no stint of purple or sable or red or scarlet or crimson cloaks.

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... g=original

My lingering doubt is regarding whether or not κόκκινον should be set dead center in the 'bright red' box. If there were any evidence that κόκκινον were equivalent/interchangeable with ἐρυθρόν, I would be persuaded to shift things around. But the brighter hue corresponding with the 'red' in the rainbow seems to be appropriate.

What Is the Greek Word for Color

Source: https://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-forum/viewtopic.php?t=69756

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