Etymology Map
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Purple

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a colour between red and blue

Where does the word "purple" come from? It comes from Greek porphyra, passing through Latin before entering English (1000s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
porphyra
Greek · ancient
"purple dye"
Greek name for the shellfish that yielded Tyrian purple, worn by emperors
2
Stage 2 of 3
purpura
Latin · ancient
"purple dye, purple cloth"
Roman law restricted full purple togas to emperors
3
Stage 3 of 3
purple
English · 1000s
"purple"
Old English 'purpul' borrowed it through Latin; 'born to the purple' means royal birth
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Read the full story

Purple’s story begins in Greek: porphyra meant “purple dye.” Greek name for the shellfish that yielded Tyrian purple, worn by emperors. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as purpura. Roman law restricted full purple togas to emperors. It reached English by 1000s as purple. Old English 'purpul' borrowed it through Latin; 'born to the purple' means royal birth. Today, purple means a colour between red and blue.