Ao (color)
Encyclopedia
Ao is a Japanese
color
word that includes what English-speakers would call blue
and green
. For example, in Japan, green traffic lights are described as , and blue skies are described as , as in aozora bunko
.
, and at that time (and for a long time thereafter) midori was still considered a shade of ao. Educational materials distinguishing green and blue only came into use after World War II, during the Occupation: thus, even though most Japanese consider them to be green, the word ao is still used to describe certain vegetable
s, apple
s and vegetation
. Ao is also the name for the color of a traffic light, "green" in English. However, most other objects—a green car, a green sweater
, and so forth—will generally be called midori. Japanese people also sometimes use the English word "green" for colors. The language also has several other words meaning specific shades of green and blue.
, a meaning that stems from the on'yomi (Chinese-based reading) sei of the kanji for ao. Yamaguchi's biography about her youth was called aoi toki (my young days). Fresh fruit in Japan is sometimes written .
The word aoi can also mean a hollyhock
. In writing, this form of "aoi" appears in Japanese as hiragana あおい, or あふひ in historical kana usage
, and kanji 葵.
Ao also appears in the name of Aomori Prefecture
.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
word that includes what English-speakers would call blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
and green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
. For example, in Japan, green traffic lights are described as , and blue skies are described as , as in aozora bunko
Aozora Bunko
Aozora Bunko is a Japanese digital library. This online collection encompasses several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-of-copyright books or works that the authors wish to make freely available....
.
Ao vs. Midori
Modern Japanese has a separate word for green (:ja:緑 midori), although its boundaries are not the same as in English. Ancient Japanese did not have this distinction: the word midori only came into use in the Heian periodHeian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
, and at that time (and for a long time thereafter) midori was still considered a shade of ao. Educational materials distinguishing green and blue only came into use after World War II, during the Occupation: thus, even though most Japanese consider them to be green, the word ao is still used to describe certain vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s and vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
. Ao is also the name for the color of a traffic light, "green" in English. However, most other objects—a green car, a green sweater
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
, and so forth—will generally be called midori. Japanese people also sometimes use the English word "green" for colors. The language also has several other words meaning specific shades of green and blue.
Other meanings
The color ao can also indicate youth, as in the song "aoi kajitsu" (a song about a young girl) by singer Momoe YamaguchiMomoe Yamaguchi
is a former Japanese singer, actress, and idol whose career lasted from 1972 to 1980. In that time, she became one of the most notable singers in Japanese music, and an acclaimed actress. She withdrew from the entertainment business at the peak of her career to marry her frequent costar, fellow...
, a meaning that stems from the on'yomi (Chinese-based reading) sei of the kanji for ao. Yamaguchi's biography about her youth was called aoi toki (my young days). Fresh fruit in Japan is sometimes written .
The word aoi can also mean a hollyhock
Hollyhock
Alcea , commonly known as hollyhocks, is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae. Most species are native to southwest and central Asia, although a few are native to southeast Europe or Egypt...
. In writing, this form of "aoi" appears in Japanese as hiragana あおい, or あふひ in historical kana usage
Historical kana usage
The , or , refers to the in general use until orthographic reforms after World War II; the current orthography was adopted by Cabinet order in 1946. By that point the historical orthography was no longer in accord with Japanese pronunciation...
, and kanji 葵.
Ao also appears in the name of Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
.
See also
- Distinguishing blue from green in languageDistinguishing blue from green in languageThe English language makes a distinction between blue and green, but some languages do not. Of these, quite a number, mostly in Africa, do not distinguish blue from black either, while there are a handful of languages that do not distinguish blue from black but have a separate term for green...
- Traditional colors of JapanTraditional colors of JapanThe traditional colors of Japanare a collection of colors traditionally used in Japanese Literature, textiles such as kimono, and other Japanese arts and crafts.-History:...
- List of colors