If orange wasn't orange, would an orange still be an orange?!

The fruit, the colour, or the town in France? Which came first?

OK, it looks like Sanskrit has the answer; this ancient Indian language contains the word 'narangah', for the fruit, which is where we get the Spanish 'naranja' and then 'orange' in French and English. It's first cultivated in Italy from the 11th century.

Further confusing the issue, the ancient town of Orange in France gets its name from the Latin Arausio, which became, in the later local dialect, Aurenjo. This word is completely unrelated to the words for the fruit or the colour, but some bright spark in the Middle Ages decided to have a bit of fun with the name and put three oranges on the town's coat-of-arms. I can just imagine that presentation at the local council meeting; "Oranges? Aurenjo? Geddit? Geddit?... C'mon. guys, it's FUNNY!!" I think they must have given in just to shut him up.

And to quote from the article on the colour directly;

"The colour is named after the orange fruit, after the appearance of the ripe fruit. Before this word was introduced to the English-speaking world, the colour was referred to as ?eolurēad (yellow-red).

"The first recorded use of orange as a colour name in English was in 1512, in the court of King Henry VIII."

So if the fruit didn't exist, we might still be calling the colour "yellow-red"...

Hope this helps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(fru…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_(col…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange,_Vau…

We would call it an orange. The fruit probably was around before the color. The color derives from the fruit so eventually the color would come back

Well if the color didn't exist. What color would an "orange" be? Because if there is no orange an orange cannot be orange therefor it shall be called whatever new color it is XD

well. it doesnt really matter. it definitly wouldnt be called orange. because it wouldnt be the color orange. wow this is confusing.

An orange with orange is an orange. But, an orange without orange is a kumquat. Think about it.

When Orange is green, is it still an orange?

THe answer is yes. And there are red oranges too. Blood oranges are still orange.

Yes, because orange was a color before oranges were discovered.

Hmm.. Good Question... im curious now o.O

You just blew my freaking mind........