purple (English)

Where does "purple" come from?

The English word 'purple' descends from Middle English 'purple'[1], which developed from Old English 'purpul'[1] and 'purpure'[1], meaning 'purple' and 'purple colour'[1][5]. These Old English terms were borrowed from Latin 'purpura', meaning 'purple dye, shellfish'[1][2][3]. The Latin term ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek 'πορφύρα', meaning 'purple-fish'[1][3], which may have a Semitic origin[1].

Open questions

• The ultimate origin from Semitic languages remains uncertain. [1]

Full etymology tree

• purple (English), 'A colour between red and blue; violet, though often closer to magenta.'
  • inherited purple (Middle English), 'alternative form of purpel'
    • inherited purpul (Old English), 'purple'
      • derived purpure (Old English), 'a purple garment or material'
        • borrowed purpura (Latin), 'the purple-fish, a species of shellfish or mussel'
          • borrowed πορφύρα (porphúra) (Ancient Greek), 'purple-fish (Hexaplex trunculus)'

Ancestors

• purple (Middle English)
• purpul (Old English)
• purpure (Old English)
• purpura (Latin)
• πορφύρα (Ancient Greek)

Cognates and doublets

• purpura (English)
• purpure (English)

Sources

1. purple (English) - Wiktionary
2. purpure (Old English) - Wiktionary
3. purpura (Latin) - Wiktionary
4. πορφύρα (porphúra) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
5. purpul (Old English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris