I will continue about the specific abstract nouns of color names. Please remember the following list;
* "ピンク色" is very rare.
The former group, that is, the series of specific abstract nouns from Japanese or Chinese origins is sometimes allowed to be added "色", although we usually prefer its original nouns simply. On the other hand, the latter group from English origins cannot be added "色" at all. We must always use the simpler usages.
Today, I will explain only "オレンジ". This is a borrowed word from English. You saw this word in my forward articles about concrete nouns, too.
More detailed:
Japanese expressions of colors (3) specific concrete nouns (1)
Japanese expressions of colors (4) specific concrete nouns (2)
Japanese expressions of colors (5) specific concrete nouns (3)
I tell you my conclusion in advance, "オレンジ" has two characters as both of a concrete noun and an abstract noun.
As I mentioned before, we have a lot of color names from specific concrete nouns in Japanese as in your language, too. However, we would sometimes like to abandon them in explaining something with colors. Because concrete nouns sometimes control the impression of explained matters by their imagenations. For example, if I explain a woman's beautiful gray sweater by "灰色のセーター: hai iro no se-ta-", it may not be a praise but sometimes be an abuse because "灰" are dirty ashes. So, we often prefer more abstract nouns, moreover, we have been sometimes seeking for new ones. "緑" instead of "草色 (くさいろ: kusairo: grass)", "紫" instead of "すみれ色" are both the efforts of these seeking.
For average Japanese native speakers, color names from Japanese origins are sometimes too firsthand by their sounds like "ももいろ (桃色)" and those from Chinese origins are sometimes too understandable by their Kanji characters like "灰色". However, every Katakana word from European languages tends to be farther. English origins do not run so much in our mind. The color names by Katakana, or borrowed nouns have tendency to be separated from their origins in our impressions. Therefore, Japanese native speakers sometimes select them as neutral words. "ピンク" instead of "桃色", "グレー" instead of "灰色" are both the results of the efforts. So, I would explain her beautiful sweater by "グレー", because I am unconscious of gray's negative impression of English.
"オレンジ" is, too, the same word as "グレー" and "ピンク". It was imported to the Japanese vocabulary as a deputy of "橙色 (だいだいいろ: daidai iro: bitter orange)". Of course, we know that this is the name of citrus. However, we have various kinds of more popular citrus in our country, too. "蜜柑 (みかん: mikan)", "伊予柑 (いよかん: iyokan)" and "八朔 (はっさく: hassaku)" have been very popular on our tables, and "橙 ( だいだい: daidai)" has played an important role in New Year's decoration traditionally. "オレンジ" reminds us its origins less than Japanese traditional citrus. In this sense, "オレンジ" is one of the abstract nouns.
On the other hand, Japanese people still do understand the origin of "オレンジ" well, and it has become much popular than before. In my childhood, I rarely see California oranges on the table of my family, however, I actually get to eat them more often recently, within twenty years. In this sense, "オレンジ" is one of the concrete nouns.
From my research on the usage of "オレンジ" for a week, about 70% of natives use "オレンジ" simply in daily conversation, and 30% of natives speak "オレンジ色". (I am sorry, but I am not a linguist. This is not a technical research, but only my private interest. I just asked my friends for it.) However, even some users of simple "オレンジ" in conversation tend to write "オレンジ色". That is, avarage people prefer "オレンジ" in conversation, but write "オレンジ色" more often. Or, one of my friend said, "I speak "オレンジ" when I deal with the topic of colors clearly, except for then, I sometimes use "オレンジ", and also sometimes use "オレンジ色"." So, I can say that we speak "オレンジ" more often and we write "オレンジ色" more often, although we can use both of them in both of conversation and writing.
The usage of borrowed word, "オレンジ" resembles the abstract color names of Japanese or Chinese origins like "紫", "緑", "紺" and "臙脂" at first glance. However, we usually forget the original meanings of these traditional words, although we do not perfectly forget the origins of "オレンジ". We can easily imagine its color, shape, touch, sweet smell and sweet and sour taste. "オレンジ" is very unique. I think it has double characters of concrete and abstract names of colors.
| 緑（みどり：midori） | 緑色（みどりいろ：midori iro） | green |
| 紫（むらさき：murasaki） | 紫色（むらさきいろ：murasaki iro） | purple |
| 紺（コン：kon） | 紺色（コンいろ：kon iro） | navy blue |
| 臙脂（エンジ：enji） | 臙脂色（エンジいろ：enji iro） | dark red |
| オレンジ（オレンジ：orenji） | オレンジ色（オレンジいろ：orenji iro） | orange |
| ピンク（ピンク：pinku） | * ピンク色（ピンクいろ：pinku iro） | pink |
| アイボリー／アイヴォリー（アイボリー：aibori-） | ― | ivory-colored |
| グレー（グレー：gure-） | ― | gray |
| グリーン（グリーン：guri-n） | ― | green |
* "ピンク色" is very rare.
The former group, that is, the series of specific abstract nouns from Japanese or Chinese origins is sometimes allowed to be added "色", although we usually prefer its original nouns simply. On the other hand, the latter group from English origins cannot be added "色" at all. We must always use the simpler usages.
Today, I will explain only "オレンジ". This is a borrowed word from English. You saw this word in my forward articles about concrete nouns, too.
More detailed:
Japanese expressions of colors (3) specific concrete nouns (1)
Japanese expressions of colors (4) specific concrete nouns (2)
Japanese expressions of colors (5) specific concrete nouns (3)
I tell you my conclusion in advance, "オレンジ" has two characters as both of a concrete noun and an abstract noun.
As I mentioned before, we have a lot of color names from specific concrete nouns in Japanese as in your language, too. However, we would sometimes like to abandon them in explaining something with colors. Because concrete nouns sometimes control the impression of explained matters by their imagenations. For example, if I explain a woman's beautiful gray sweater by "灰色のセーター: hai iro no se-ta-", it may not be a praise but sometimes be an abuse because "灰" are dirty ashes. So, we often prefer more abstract nouns, moreover, we have been sometimes seeking for new ones. "緑" instead of "草色 (くさいろ: kusairo: grass)", "紫" instead of "すみれ色" are both the efforts of these seeking.
For average Japanese native speakers, color names from Japanese origins are sometimes too firsthand by their sounds like "ももいろ (桃色)" and those from Chinese origins are sometimes too understandable by their Kanji characters like "灰色". However, every Katakana word from European languages tends to be farther. English origins do not run so much in our mind. The color names by Katakana, or borrowed nouns have tendency to be separated from their origins in our impressions. Therefore, Japanese native speakers sometimes select them as neutral words. "ピンク" instead of "桃色", "グレー" instead of "灰色" are both the results of the efforts. So, I would explain her beautiful sweater by "グレー", because I am unconscious of gray's negative impression of English.
"オレンジ" is, too, the same word as "グレー" and "ピンク". It was imported to the Japanese vocabulary as a deputy of "橙色 (だいだいいろ: daidai iro: bitter orange)". Of course, we know that this is the name of citrus. However, we have various kinds of more popular citrus in our country, too. "蜜柑 (みかん: mikan)", "伊予柑 (いよかん: iyokan)" and "八朔 (はっさく: hassaku)" have been very popular on our tables, and "橙 ( だいだい: daidai)" has played an important role in New Year's decoration traditionally. "オレンジ" reminds us its origins less than Japanese traditional citrus. In this sense, "オレンジ" is one of the abstract nouns.
On the other hand, Japanese people still do understand the origin of "オレンジ" well, and it has become much popular than before. In my childhood, I rarely see California oranges on the table of my family, however, I actually get to eat them more often recently, within twenty years. In this sense, "オレンジ" is one of the concrete nouns.
From my research on the usage of "オレンジ" for a week, about 70% of natives use "オレンジ" simply in daily conversation, and 30% of natives speak "オレンジ色". (I am sorry, but I am not a linguist. This is not a technical research, but only my private interest. I just asked my friends for it.) However, even some users of simple "オレンジ" in conversation tend to write "オレンジ色". That is, avarage people prefer "オレンジ" in conversation, but write "オレンジ色" more often. Or, one of my friend said, "I speak "オレンジ" when I deal with the topic of colors clearly, except for then, I sometimes use "オレンジ", and also sometimes use "オレンジ色"." So, I can say that we speak "オレンジ" more often and we write "オレンジ色" more often, although we can use both of them in both of conversation and writing.
The usage of borrowed word, "オレンジ" resembles the abstract color names of Japanese or Chinese origins like "紫", "緑", "紺" and "臙脂" at first glance. However, we usually forget the original meanings of these traditional words, although we do not perfectly forget the origins of "オレンジ". We can easily imagine its color, shape, touch, sweet smell and sweet and sour taste. "オレンジ" is very unique. I think it has double characters of concrete and abstract names of colors.
Thank you for reading! Sorry for my poor English.
If you have any questions, take it easy to ask me!
Also, I would like you to correct my errors, if you could.
If you have any questions, take it easy to ask me!
Also, I would like you to correct my errors, if you could.
Japanese expressions of colors (1) four adjectives (1)
Japanese expressions of colors (7) specific abstract nouns (2)
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