As far as the history of colors is concerned, it is only recently that the color orange received its own name. Surprisingly, the fruit arrived first, originating from China, and the English word "orange" to describe the color, followed later.
The orange fruit is thought to have originated in China - the German word Apfelsine and the Dutch word sinaasappel (Chinese apple) reflect this. Historians believe the fruit was brought to Europe by Italian traders or Portuguese navigators around 1500. In fact, "Chinese apple" is still synonymous with orange in several languages, including Dutch and Ukrainian.
Before the orange (the fruit) made its way from China to Europe, the yellow-red was simply called yellow-red, or even just red.
The English word "orange" to describe the color comes from the Sanskrit term for orange tree: nāraṅga. It is believed that the first Persian emperors collected exotic trees for their gardens, which probably included orange trees. Later, the Arabs traded in these fruits and spread the word as far as Spain; the Spanish word for orange is naranja. In Old French, the fruit became barley, and this word was adopted in English, eventually becoming "orange", to describe the fruit as well as the color.
The orange is a type of citrus fruit that is very similar to lemon, lime, tangerine and grapefruit. In general, an orange of any variety has a stringy core that contains the seeds, followed by a series of segments that contain the fleshy fruit, and then a thick orange-colored skin that protects the fruit and the seeds. Oranges are the most popular of all citrus fruits. It is also one of the most widely grown and consumed fruits in the world. Many people start their morning with a glass of orange juice! Don't you?
History of the word orange
Oranges beat pumpkins and carrots by far to name the shade of the color itself. This is probably due to a timing problem. Pumpkins were only discovered later, and carrots did not become oranges until the 16th century, when Dutch farmers raised them in this way. Before that, they were various other colors, including yellow, white, purple and red, but rarely orange.
Today, orange trees have become the most commonly cultivated fruit trees in the world. It is a popular crop from the Far East to the Mediterranean region. However, Florida in the United States is the world leader in the production of this fruit, with an annual yield of over 200 million boxes.
The orange fruit therefore originated in China and was introduced to Europe by traders. In Sanskrit, Spanish and Old French, it became the English word we use today to describe both the fruit and the color.
