Berlin-Kay Color Terms

Berlin and Kay's theory proposes that as languages develop, they tend to adopt color terms in a specific sequence. Initially, societies might only have words for black and white, then add red, followed by colors like yellow or green, and eventually other hues like blue, brown, or purple. This pattern suggests that our perception and categorization of colors influence the vocabulary we develop, and that some colors are universally easier to recognize and name early on. Their research highlights how language and cognition evolve together, shaping how we understand and communicate about the colorful world around us.