Abstract

This paper aims to investigate what are linguistic characteristics of basic color names and relative color names amongst the Korean Standard(KS) color names. Although the KS color names were established in purpose of practical aspects of education and industry, they have somewhat different characters. Morphologically, basic color names have a simple base and relative color names consist of adnoun and noun. There are some types they show, for example [noun], [adnoun [noun]] and [adnoun [adnoun[noun]]]. Lexico-semantically many adnouns function as a marker to express properties that color names have. Some are markers of hue(some adnominals of adjective color names or nominals as black, white, red, yellow, blue, pink, purple, violet), on the contrary others are markers of the luminosity(some adnominals of adjectives relative to light as bright, dark or color name grey) or chroma(some adnominals of adjectives relative to degree of shade such like bister, dark, light, weak) of color. These KS color names represent the relation between the nature of colors as themselves and linguistic properties they referent. Besides, they steer us to understand the principles how we can recognize and how we organize the world we live in. The recent work of the color naming is valuable with respect of consistent method, corresponding object to language. If complementary work which language expressions connect to corresponding colors is attended more strictly, the target color will be able to be expressed more correctly.