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Although Japanese does in fact have a word for green, which matches the traffic lights, but still calls them blue.

Blue includes green, so they’re not wrong.




Yeah, and in English, people constantly confuse Pink (light red) with Magenta (red+blue). Our notion of Blue isn't so pure either, since it's considered acceptable to call Cyan a type of blue, yet no one would ever make the mistake of calling Red and Orange by the same name. That's already halfway to thinking that Green is also a type of blue.


I thought that the "idiomatic pink" in fact is the "Magenta" mixture of blue/violet and red wavelengths and the "neutral light red" produced by mixing "pure red" with "pure white" you call "Pink" would be commonly perceived as "bland" or "washed out" or "too yellowish" compared to the "Magenta pink" as you call it (?)

In other words, that the colour that is commonly called "pink" and occurs in nature has always somewhat bluish tint, while the "neutral pink" you refer to is somewhat rare in the nature.

In computer terms, named colour `pink` is

    rgb(100% 75% 80%)
whilst the "neutral pink" of the same lightness would possibly be a darkened variant of the the `misty rose` what is defined as

    rgb(100% 89% 88%)
Arguably the "blue" accent in computer `pink` could be an adjustment addressing some technical display peculiarities, but I like to think that the real reason for the standardised `pink` being really "light magenta" is the intent to adhere to the natural counterparts (and resulting common language).

Look at how yellowish the "darkened mistyrose" rgb(100% 77% 77%) appears compared to "pink"

    <p style="background: pink">
    <p style="background: rgb(100% 75% 80%)">
    <p style="background: rgb(100% 77% 77%)">
    <p style="background: rgb(100%, 89%, 88%)">
    <p style="background: mistyrose">

https://myfonj.github.io/sandbox.html#%3C!doctype%20html%3E%...


wlonkly on Oct 24, 2023 | root | parent | next [–]

The article talks about the specification and it's more... specific than that: > “In 1973, the government mandated through a cabinet order that traffic lights use the bluest shade of green possible—still technically green, but noticeably blue enough to justifiably continue using the ao nomenclature,” Allan Richarz writes for Atlas Obscura

https://www.rd.com/article/heres-japan-blue-traffic-lights/


I was taught that “green” (midori) is basically only for vegetation and things you want to say are similar to it. Even green apples are “blue” (aoi).


No, that's wrong. It's perfectly normal to use 青 for vegetation, e.g. 青葉. And it's perfectly normal to use 緑色 for everyday non-vegetation things (e.g. on a quick search I found clothes, cars, wallets...)




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