the.com/violet
The shortest wavelength you can see, masquerading as a shy little flower.
means A bluish-purple color at the short-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, also the name of a small, often fragrant flowering plant.
from From Old French 'violette,' a diminutive of 'viole,' which traces back to Latin 'viola' — the Roman name for the flower. The color sense grew from the plant: the bloom came first, and we borrowed its name to label the shade. Latin 'viola' is possibly a loanword related to the Greek 'ion' (the violet flower), but its deeper roots are uncertain, perhaps from a lost Mediterranean tongue that named the flower long before either Greek or Latin wrote it down.
- wavelength
- Sits at light's edge, around 380 nanometers
- not purple
- Real spectral color; purple is your brain improvising
- name origin
- Latin viola named the flower, then the hue
- bee vision
- Bees see ultraviolet beyond where violet ends
- flower trick
- Violets release scent-numbing compounds, hiding their own smell
violet evergarden — anime and light novel character who writes letters, created by katsuro takamasa in 2015
ultraviolet light — electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths 10-400 nanometers, causes sunburns and sterilizes surfaces
african violet — houseplant species saintpaulia with purple flowers, native to tanzania, popular indoor plant