
Tyrian Purple - bookofjoe
https://believermag.com/logger/vintage-tech-4-tyrian-purple/
======
Jun8
This as a fascinating article. It mentions Tyrian purple, in fact the word
_purple_ is derived from the ancient greek word, πορφύρα (porphura), for the
Tyrian dye
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple#Etymology_and_definitio...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple#Etymology_and_definitions))
which was adopted into Latin and from there many European languages
([https://www.omniglot.com/language/colours/multilingual.htm](https://www.omniglot.com/language/colours/multilingual.htm)).
It's interesting that the modern Greek word for purple is _μωβ_ (mov), which
comes from μόρον (moron), the blackberry
([https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BD](https://lsj.gr/wiki/%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BD))
and is also adopted into Turkish as _mor_. Since it's estimated that the sound
denoted by β changed from classical Greek /b/ to modern Greek /v/ in the first
century AD one might venture a guess that the switch from _porphura_ to _mov_
may be from that time (caution: armchair historical linguistics hunch that I
just made up, may be totally off).

Another interesting fact I just found out: According to Wikipedia the Chinese
glyph for purple, 紫, is from Old Japanese むらさき (murasaki), the word for red-
root gromwell, the roots of which were used for the purple dye and medicine.
This, of course, is the pen name of the Japanese author, whose actual name has
been lost, and has been named "Murasaki Shikibu" (Lady Murasaki), after the
heroine she invented.

Down the rabbit whole with one word!

~~~
therein
Mov to Mor makes sense. Murasaki and Mor was fascinating.

Turkish and Japanese has a lot of unexpected similarities. When it comes to
conjugation even. As a native Turkish speaker, watching Japanese with
subtitles leads to me picking up conjugation rules and they map identically.

Another strange etymological association that was unexpected to me is the
phrase "my stomach is hungry". It is present in both Turkish and Japanese.

~~~
lovemenot
_onaka ga suiteimasu_

I'd translate the Japanese to English as my "stomach is empty". Same word for
example as an empty room.

~~~
therein
I was basing that example off of this answer on Quora:
[https://www.quora.com/I-speak-Japanese-and-am-learning-
Turki...](https://www.quora.com/I-speak-Japanese-and-am-learning-Turkish-
These-languages-have-a-lot-of-similar-words-but-different-grammar-any-
explanation-for-this/answer/Can-Deniz-5)

~~~
lovemenot
Yes. I see now where you got it from.

Nevertheless, I stick to my previous translation. Of course, I have no
Turkish, so I cannot comment on the similarity.

------
plorntus
This site is somewhat annoying on mobile, the sign up pop up, the nominated
banner that you have to close, the large vote for us icon in the corner, the
blue box that cuts into the content as you scroll up and down.

~~~
brownbat
Here's a readable version:
[https://outline.com/XadkNU](https://outline.com/XadkNU)

I hate that "make websites usable" is a key service someone has to provide,
but that's where we are.

~~~
bookofjoe
Though I rarely read articles on my phone or tablet, instead preferring my
laptop, I realize that most people do the opposite. Even crap sites like the
Believer are far easier to navigate on a computer. Sometimes it helps to be a
Luddite.

------
dreamcompiler
Websites ought to be at least as readable as books. But books don't repeatedly
throw advertisements in my face, ask me to sign up for mailing lists, and put
permanent immovable obstacles to reading in front of the text.

If your website cannot be bothered to make itself readable, then I cannot be
bothered to read it. Bye.

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efitz
This is one of the most annoying web sites I have visited, with multiple pop
up interruptions and overlays, close buttons visually disconnected from the
dialogs that they close, etc. I gave up on the article because of the horrible
reading experience. I have no idea why this site is nominated for a webby;
they must not have evaluated the mobile experience.

------
Aardwolf
Warning: site has modal sign up dialog box without close button - the close
button is in the far top right of the screen instead

