Dathanna as Gaeilge

Buí

Buí= yellow/orange/light brown – wide semantic range

When applied to footwear, buí means ‘tan’ or ‘light brown’, but it is also the colour of
buttercup petals.

Dúbhuí: dark yellow, crón

Yellowish: leathbhuí, pas buí
Yellowish white, red, green etc.: buíbhán, buídhearg, buíghlas, etc.
Yellowness: buíocht
Yellow gold: ór buí
Brownish yellow: donnbhuí
Orange yellow: buí Oráisteach/cróchbhuí

Solas buí gréine: golden sunlight

Of skin: sallow
Buí sa chraiceann
Tan
Buí le grian/ón ngrian: tanned by the sun
Bróga buí: tan shoes

Fear buí: Orangeman

Iasc buí: dried fish
Tá an t-eadra buí ann: the morning is far spent (well into late morning!)
Ceannbhuí: yellowheaded
Yellow line: líne bhuí
Yellow box junction: acomhal bosca bhuí

Amber: órbhuí

Brown

Descriptions

Brown paper: páipéar rua

Brown rice: Rís rua
Chocolate brown: donnrua
Brown trout: breac donn/rua
Brown sugar: siúcra donn
Dark brown soil: ithir dhúdhonn
Light-brown hair: gruaig bhuí-odhar
Dark brown hair: gruaig chiardhonn
Brown boots: brógaí buí
Tá dath na gréine ar a aghaidh: his face is browned by the sun

Actual colours
Chestnut- brown: crón
Rich brown: rídhonn
Red-brown: dearg dhonn
Mottled brown: donnbhreac
Mouse brown: leamh dhonn
Golden brown: órdhonn
Fawn brown: donn osbhuí
Dirty brown: smúrdhonn
Glossy brown: donn snasta
Pinkish-brown to yellowish: idir pincdhonn agus scothbhuí
Glossy brown: donn snasta

Red
Dearg: Red Rua: Red but a Brown Red (see above also).
Rua: A brownish Red.

Actual colours:

Cherry red: caordhearg

Dark red-purple: deargchorca dorcha
Cróchdhearg: orange-red
Pure red: fíordhearg
Violet red: vialaitdearg
Venetian red: dearg-Veinéiseach
Blood-red/scarlet/intense red: croídhearg/cródhearg
Fiery red: flanndearg
Reddish: scothdhearg, I leith na deirge
Dark red: dúdhearg
Dark red, chestnut: dúrua
Vivid red: glédhearg
Craorag: blood-red/crimson; fuisce a ól craorag- to drink whiskey neat.

Descriptions:
Focal.ie:
Red-cheeked: deargleicneach
Red marble: marmar rua
Red oak: dair dhearg
Red Sea: An Mhuir Rua
Red soil: ithir rua
Red squirrel: iolra rua
Red-brick university: ollscoil na mbrící dearga

De Bhalraithe
Red lips: liopaí dearga
She turned red: Baineadh lasadh aisti
Red meat: Feoil fhola
Cailc dhearg: red chalk
Fiery red: flanndearg
Dressed in red: faoi éadach dearg
Red-haired: rua, ruafholtach
Red-eyed: deargshúileach
Red-faced: dearg-ghnúiseach
Red-hot: 1. deargtha, dearglasta (blazing, red-hot) 2. rídhíograiseach, splanctha
Redness: deirge, ruacht (gruaige)
-Tá an ruacht iontu: they tend to be red-haired

N. Ó Donaill:
Rosy cheeks: pluca dearga
Súile dearga: red, blood-shot, eyes
Tá mo phíopa dearg: My pipe is lit
Do bhéal, do leicne, a dheargadh
Dhearg sé go bun na gcluas: he blushed up to the ears
Tá an tine ag deargadh: the fire is beginning to glow
Ar deargmheisce: mad drunk
Ar Deargmhire: stark mad
Deargór: pure gold
Deargphlucach: red-apple- cheeked
Deargrua: of hair: bright, vivid, red.

Duine rua: red-haired person

Bonn rua: copper coin

White
Gealacán: white of egg/eye
White person: bánach; duine geal
White oak dairbhán
Dry white wine: fíon bán neamh-mhilis/ fíon géar
White oak: dair bhán

Pearly white: niamhbhán

Creamy white: buíbhán
Off-white: neasbhán
Faint white: meathbhán
Speckled with white: bánbhreac
Pale blue: bánghorm
Pale green: bánghlas
Bánrua: light red, sandy

De Bhalraithe:
He is going white: Tá sé ag éirí liath/ag liathadh
White flour: plúr geal
White glass: gloine gheal
D’iompaigh an lí ann: he turned white
Bhí sé chomh bán le mo léine
She was dressed in white: culaith gheal a bhí uirthi
White-wash: aol/aoldath
White-wash verb: cuir aol ar/faoi
Whitewashing: aoladh, aoldathú, aolghealadh
Whiteish: fo-bhán, scothbhán, I leith na báine

N.Ó Donaill:

Geal: of brilliant white: plúr geal, fiacla geala, chomh geal leis an aol, leis an eala, le
sneachta na haon oíche
Of fair skin: craiceann geal, muineál geal
Of clear light: solas geal, an ghrian gheal the bright sun, bhí an lá geal ann (it was clear
dawn), I lár an lae ghil: in broad daylight
Of liquid: uisce geal, clear water, bonn geal: silver coin
Of vividness: loinnir gheal: bright sheen
Is é an péarla geal ag a mháthair : he is his mother’s precious jewel
Gheal a haghaidh: her face brightened
Tá an spéir ag gealadh: the sky is clearing
Gealann sé mo chroí: it gladdens my heart

Bán: pale
Aghaidh bhán: pale, pallid face
Leathanach bán: blank page
Bánbhia: white meat
Bánfholtach: white-haired
Bánghnúiseach: pale-faced
Bán lí: pale complexion
 Orange

Flannbhuí
Oráiste

Orange brown: cróchdhonn

Orange red: dearg Oráisteach
Orange yellow: buí Oráisteach
Orange-red: cróchdhearg
Orange-yellow: cróchbhuí
Pale orange-brown: buídhonn éadrom

Descriptions
Sú oráiste dlúth: concentrated orange juice
Lacha faoi anlann oráiste: duck in orange juice

Silver

Dath geal: silver

Focal.ie
Liathgheal: blue-silver
Gealbhuí: silver-yellow

De Bhalraithe:
Silver hair: gruaig gheal-liath
Silver-haired: geal liath (sa ghruaig)
Silversmith: gabha geal

Black

Dubh: black
Gorm: black-skinned
Blue-black: gormdhubh
Dull black: dubh murtallach
Very black: ciardhubh
Blackish: leathdhubh, dorcha
Black and blue: dubh gorm
Blackness, darkness: duibhe
Descriptions: Focal.ie

Black coffee: caife gan bhainne

Black tea: tae gan bhainne
Black comedy: dráma dúghrinn
Black diamond: diamant dubh
Black coral: coiréalach dubh
Accident black spot: ball dubh/log báis
Black earth: ithir dhubh
Black forest gateau: gateau na Foraoise Duibhe
Black frost: sioc dubh
Commerce: the black hole: an poll dubh
Black humour: greann dubh
Black iron kettle: citeal iarainn dubh
Black list: dúliosta
To blacklist someone: duine a chur sa leabhar dubh/ar an liosta dubh
Black market: margadh dubh
Black marketer: margóir dubh
Black oak: dair dhubh
Black rat: francach dubh
Black sea: an mhuir dhubh
Black man, Black woman: Fear gorm, bean ghorm
Black-body temperature: teocht dúchoirp

De Bhalraithe:
Black spot (on furniture etc.) ball salach
To be black in the face: bheith gorm san aghaidh
He is not as black as he is painted: níl sé chomh dona lena thuairisc
She always wears black: éadach dubh a bhíos I gcónaí uirthi
Blackberry: sméar dhubh
Blackmail: dúmhál; cuir duine faoi dhúmhál

N. Ó Dónaill:

Black and white: dubh is bán

Dubh a chaitheamh: to wear black
An dubh a cur ina gheal ar duine: convince someone black is white!
Dubh poill: black colouring substance found in bogs
Níl a dhubh ná a dhath air: there is nothing at all the matter with him
Dubh na hoíche: the dark of the night
Tá sé dubh dorcha: pitch-black
Tá mé dubh dóite de: I am heartily sick of it
Black haired: dubhfholtach

Dú-

Dúbhuaine: dark green

Dúbhuí: dark yellow
Dúdhearg: dark red
Dúghlas: dark green/dark grey/ Livid
Dúghorm: dark blue/navy blue
Dúshúileach: black eyed/dark eyed
Dúsholas: faint light/glimmer
Dúrua: dark red, chestnut

Gorm

Types of Colour:

Blue: gorm
Blue (of steak): fíor-amhbhruite
Blue green: gormuaine/gormghlas
Blue black: gormdhubh
Blue-silver: liathgheal
Cobalt blue: gorm cóbaltach
Greenish blue: glasghorm
Ice blue: oighear ghorm
Metallic blue: niamhghorm
Navy blue: dúghorm
Ocean blue: Aigéanghorm
Pale blue: bánghorm
Pure blue: fíorghorm
Sky blue: spéirghorm
Dark blue: gorm dorcha
Steely blue: glasghorm
Bluish: gormach

Descriptions: Focal.ie

Blue belt: crios gorm

Blue chip: gormshlis
Blue chip company: cuideachta ghormshlise
Blue chip stock: scothstoc/ stoc gormshlise
Blue coral: coiréalach gorm
Blue flag: bratach ghorm
Blue flag beach: trá brait ghoirm/ trá bhrataí goirme
Blue moor-grass: féar boirne
Blue mould: múscán gorm
Blue shark: siorc gorm
Blue whale: míol mór gorm
Blue collar worker: oibrí láimhe
Blueprint: gormchló/teoirphlean
The blues: gormacha

Blue cheese: cáis ghorm/gormán

Blue-veined cheese: cáis ghormfhéitheach
Danish blue cheese: gormán Danmhargach (An Danmhairg)
De Bhaldraithe:
You may talk til you are blue in the face: bheifeá ag caint go dtitfeadh an t-anam asat
He feels blue: tá sé tromchroíoch
The blues: lionndubh/gruaim
Blue-eyed: 1. gormshúileach 2. soineanta/cóir
Blue-grass: gormfhéar

Niall Ó Dónaill

Gorm féir: bluish-green colour of lush grass

Máilín goirm
Dath gorm: blue colour
Lasair ghorm: blue flame
Féar gorm: glue(-green) grass
Gorm san aghaidh: blue in the face (from anger?)
Spéir ghormghlas: azure sky

Harry Potter: watery blue colour: dath báiteach gorm

Purple

Corcra: purple
Dúchorcra: dark purple
Deargchorcra dorcha: dark red purple
Greyish purple: liathchorcra
Corcairdhonn: purple-brown
Purplish: scothchorcra; I leith an chorcra

Purple moor-grass: fionnán

Purple willow: saileach chorcra

Liathchorcra: lilac

Pink

Bright pink: bándearg láidir

Deep pink: bándearg trom
Faint pink: meath-bhándearg
Light pink: bándearg éadrom
Rose-pink colour: dath rós-bhándearg
Tinged pink: a bhfuil imir bhándearg ann
Pinkish: liathdhearg; I leith na bándeirge
Pinkness: bándeirge
Pink cheeks: pluca solasta
To wear pink: an chasóg dhearg a chaitheamh

Green

Glas: of natural phenomena

Uaine: of non-natural objects

Na Glasaigh.. An Glasach
An Comhaontas Glas: The Green Party

Tuar: bleach green

Gormghlas/gormuaine: blue-green
Dúghlas:bottle-green
Gléghlas: bright green
Umha-ghlas: bronze-green
Donnghlas: brownish-green
Uaine Brunswick: Brunswick Green: Arts and Crafts term
Glasdonn: green brown
Liathghlas: grey green
Glasbhuí/buíghlas: olive-green (essentially a yellow-green)
Imir den ghlas: shades of green
Buíuaine/buíghlas: yellow-green
Uaine cróim since: zinc chrome green
Grass-green: glas, féaruaine/ glaise an fhéir (the green of the grass)
Sage green: glaise na sáiste
Greenish: I leith na glaise, I leith na huaine, scothghlas
Greenness: uaine, glaise.
Greenness of vegetables: glaise torthaí/ neamhaibiúlacht
Sea-green colour: glas na mara
Glas smaragaide: emerald green colour

Focal.ie
Gnólacht glas: green business
Fuinneamh glas: green energy
Bratach uaine: green flag
Ceist comhshaoil: green issue
Green room: seomra scíthe/seomra sosa

T. De Bhaldraithe:
Slat úr/glas: a green shoot
To keep someone’s memory green: cuimhne duine a choinneáil beo/buan
Buanchuimhne: a memory that is still green
Torthaí glasa: green fruit
Connadh úr: green wood
Green of complexion: mílítheach
He went/ turned green: d’iompaigh an lí ann
Faiche an bhaile: the village green
Teach gloine: green house
Easpa taithí ar ghnó (green = new at something)

N. Ó Dónaill:

Péint ghlas: green paint

Chomh glas le féar/cuileann (holly)
Bheith glas ar rud: to be unused to something
Ba ghlas m’eolas air: little I knew of it
Nach mé atá glas agat: how gullible do you think I am?
Deoch ghlas: weak, soft, drink
Glas sa aghaidh: sickly faced
Glasfhéarmhar: green and grassy, verdant
Glasta: shiny/glossy

Harry Potter; clóca glasuaine: emerald green cloak

Súile gléghlasa: bright green eyes

Olive: glasbhuí
Ológ= tree/fruit

Grey

Grey: liath
Sometimes glas, see below

Ash-grey: ar liath na luatha

Brownish-grey: donnliath
Dark grey soil: ithir dhúliath
Greenish grey: glas liath
grey-brown: liathdhonn
grey-white: liathbhán
light grey: fionnliath
mottled grey: glasliath
olive grey:glasliath
pinkish grey: pincliath
yellowish grey: buíliath
dull grey: támhliath, spadliath
greyish: I leith na léithe/ leathliath/breacliath
greyish: liathach (NOD)
greyness: léithe; greyness of the city: mórgacht na cathrach
greyness: liathacht

dark grey soil: ithir dhúliath

grey-brown earth: ithir liathdhonn
yellow-grey earth: ithir bhuí liath
grey area: limistéar liath
grey seal: rón glas
grey squirrel: iora glas
grey wolf: faolchú liath

grey sky: spéir liath

grey matter: liathábhar (na hinchinne)
to grow grey: liathadh
his hair turned grey: d’éirigh sé liath; liath a chúl

of horse/cow: GLAS

hair touched with grey: cúl a bheadh I leith na léithe/ cúl a mbeadh ribí liatha ann
capall glas

grey-haired: liath
grey-headed: ceannliath, foltliath

N. Ó Dónaill
Dath/imir liath: grey colour/tint
Liath: a grey haired person
Duine liath: grey haired person
Tá mo cheann liath agaibhse: ye are wearing me out!
Is minic duine liath lúfar: grey hairs need not signify old age
Ceann liath ort: may you live to old age!
Chomh liath leis an gceo/iolar
Éadach liath: pale grey cloth
Bainne liath: watery milk
Arán liath: mouldy bread
Uisce liath: water coloured with milk
Níl liath an tae acu: they are destitute

Liathchorcra: lilac
Liathdhearg: pale red; pinkish
Liathbhuí: sallow
Liathdhonn: pale-brown, drab
Liathdhorcha: dark-grey; of light: greyish/darkening
Liathghlas: pale green (of cloth pale grey)
Liathghorm: pale blue; blue-grey

Glas an iarainn iron-grey

Caora ghlas: grey sheep
Capall glas: grey horse
Of metal: glas = lustrous, bright, steely
An gall glas: the iron-clad viking
Spéir ghlas: grey sky
Glas donn: hazel-grey
Glasdubh: dark grey
Glasliath: pale grey, wan
Glasphéarlach: pearl grey