Reply To: Language and consciencous

Unseen wrote:

How are these two words different from “light blue” and “dark blue”? Also, if there are two words, then I would think it would make determining which word to use in borderline cases more confusing than easier.

The difference is that the use of the two words describe a distinct boundary (like our blue/green). There is no distinct boundary between light and dark blue in English. It is a categorical distinction in Russian rather than a continuous one.

I see what you’re saying about the two words making it confusing but that is not actually the task. The task is to be able to discriminate between two very similar hues and say whether they are the same or different. It is not to take a single hue and ascribe it to a category. Russians find it easier to say whether hues that can be considered to be in the “middle” of light and dark blue are different from one another.