Word for Wednesday: Pink

blog home

In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. 

The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. 

The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth century. Color is now the common American English spelling of this word. 

So far we’ve looked at the words red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Today’s word is pink. 

Pink is made by mixing red with white. It is the colour of cherry blossoms, salmon, and flamingos. Like red, the word is sometimes used to describe someone who is blushing. 

Pink has been used as the common name for the Dianthus plant which often has pink flowers since the1570s. The word was first used to describe the colour in 1733. Another earlier name for pink in English was incarnation meaning ‘flesh colour’. This word dates to the mid-fourteenth century and comes from the Latin word for flesh. The carnation flower is also named for its resemblance to the colour of flesh. 


17 Feb 2021
blog home

Try Spellzone for free

Recent Blogs

How to Recognise and Overcome Tricky Spelling Patterns With Clarity and Confidence
How to Teach Spelling with Minimal Stress: Simple Techniques for Busy Teachers
Spelling for Mindfulness: How Slowing Down Can Help You Focus and Learn
Spelling Slip-Ups: Everyday Words People Often Get Wrong (and Clever Ways to Get Them Right)
Jamie Oliver’s Dyslexia Revolution: Why Schools Must Do More Than Just Listen
Embedding Spelling Practice Across All Subjects in Primary Schools: Supporting Literacy Beyond English Lessons
How to Teach Spelling to Reluctant Learners: Engaging and Low-Stress Methods
Why English Spelling Is So Hard And What You Can Do About It
Spelling Tricks for Words That Don’t Sound How They’re Spelled
From Spelling to Pronunciation: Why English Words Don’t Always Sound How They Look
How Spelling Tests Can Be a Positive Learning Opportunity: Encouraging a Healthy Relationship with Assessments
Why Some Words Have Double Letters: Spelling Rules and Tips
Why Spelling Rules Matter: How Patterns Simplify Learning
Spellzone Earns High Praise in Independent Pedagogical Quality Report
Spelling Through Visualisation: Using Imagery to Remember Words
How Reading Improves Spelling: The Power of Context
Tricky English Spelling Patterns: How to Teach Common Letter Combinations
How to Create Effective Spelling Word Lists for Students: A Guide for Educators
Understanding Root Words: Unlocking the Meaning of Complex Words
Navigating the World of Hyphenated Words in English

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill