How Different Cultures Name Colors: A Universal Pattern
A Vox video explores how languages around the world name colors, revealing a universal pattern. In 1969, Paul Kay and Brent Berlin of the University of California, Berkeley published a seminal book showing that all cultures invent color terms in the same order: first black and white, then red, then yellow and green, followed by others. Some languages only have words for light, dark, and red. The video traces studies from the 1960s to today, demonstrating a common cognitive pathway in recognizing the color spectrum across cultures.
Key facts
- Not all languages have words for many colors; some only have terms for light, dark, and red.
- Paul Kay and Brent Berlin published a foundational book on color naming in 1969.
- The researchers were from the University of California, Berkeley.
- All cultures invent color words in the same order: black/white, red, yellow/green, then others.
- The video was produced by Vox magazine.
- The video covers studies from the 1960s to the present.
- A universal pattern exists in how humans recognize salient points of the color spectrum.
- The video provides examples and traces the history of research on the topic.
Entities
Artists
- Paul Kay
- Brent Berlin
Institutions
- University of California, Berkeley
- Vox
- Artribune
Locations
- California
- United States