Orange

The color orange got its name at the time oranges first arrived in Europe. The word appeared in English for the first time in a 1044 poem before passing to common use some centuries later, as oranges became more readily available in Europe.

We associate orange with fall colors, fire, earth and pottery. Despite that, orange does not evoke the same strong symbolic connotations as its immediate neighbours on the color scale, namely yellow and red. It is variously considered joyful and stimulating like yellow or teeming with the passion and buoancy of red, although always to a lesser degree.

As well, expressions do not exist to enhance the status of orange as is the case for other colors. This is perhaps a reflection of the few symbolic associations cultures have developed with orange. In fact, we talk of red fish and red clay when it would be more accurate to describe them as orange, yet another proof of the secondary role of orange.

Although orange has not achieved a strong symbolic status, it remains an important color in matters of safety, when good visibility is a must. Known for its high visual impact, orange is used in the manufacturing of a number of safety-related items such as life jackets, buoys and life rafts.

La Couleur Nature, histoire et décoration; Paris, Le Temps Apprivoisé; 1993; 256 page .