Welcome to your first lesson on the history of the color pink. This course is designed to take you on a journey through time, exploring how this single color has been perceived, used, and understood in art, fashion, and culture.
Today, we will begin at the very beginning by exploring the origins of the word 'pink' itself. Before a color can have a cultural history, it needs a name. We will investigate where the word came from—a story that might surprise you—and trace its adoption as a color term in 17th-century Europe. This foundation will be essential as we move on to discuss pink's role in art, its association with gender, and its use in social and political movements.
From Action to Object: The Birth of a Name
When we think of the word 'pink' today, we almost exclusively think of the color. However, for centuries, the word had a completely different meaning. It began its life in the English language not as a noun or an adjective, but as a verb.
To understand this origin story, please read the following brief article. It clearly explains the connection between an old verb, a common tool, and a particular flower.
How the colour pink got its name
This article from The Little Book of Colour provides a concise and engaging overview of the etymology of 'pink'.
Please read the first four paragraphs of the article, starting from the beginning. Pay close attention to the original meaning of the verb 'to pink' and how it relates to the flower mentioned.
As you've just read, the word's journey started in the 14th century with the verb 'to pink,' which meant "to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern." This is the same root for the term 'pinking shears'—the scissors that cut a zig-zag edge in fabric to prevent fraying.
The crucial link between this action and the color we know today is a genus of flowers called Dianthus. Many species of Dianthus have fringed or serrated petals that look as if someone had cut their edges with pinking shears. Because of this appearance, the flowers themselves came to be known as 'pinks'.
How the colour pink got its name
The petals of a Dianthus flower, also known as a 'pink'. Note the serrated edges that resemble a pattern cut by pinking shears, which is the likely origin of the flower's—and later the color's—name.
The following short video clip reinforces this connection and introduces the idea that another flower-based term, 'rose', was more common before 'pink' entered our vocabulary as a color.
The Actual History of Pink for Girls and Blue for Boys
This clip from historian Nicole Rudolph's "The Actual History of Pink for Girls and Blue for Boys" clearly explains the transition from the verb to the flower to the color.
Watch from the explanation about the term 'pink'. The speaker does an excellent job of summarizing the etymological path we've been discussing.
From Flower to Color: A New Term Emerges
So, the color pink is named after the flower, which in turn was named after a decorative action. The final step was for the name of the flower to become synonymous with its typical color. This shift occurred in the 17th century. Before then, the color we call pink was simply referred to as a pale shade of red.
Interestingly, this linguistic evolution was not unique to English. The next video clip, from a lecture by Dr. Valerie Steele, Director and Chief Curator of The Museum at FIT, provides a wonderful literary example to illustrate the meaning of 'pink' before it was a color. It also contrasts the relatively late adoption of the term in European languages with its much earlier appearance in Asia.
Fashion Culture | The History of Pink
In this excerpt from "The History of Pink," Dr. Steele discusses when 'pink' became a color term and provides valuable cross-cultural context.
Watch the section from the beginning. Pay attention to the quote from Romeo and Juliet and the comparison between European and Asian languages.
Dr. Steele’s reference to Mercutio’s line in Romeo and Juliet, "I am the very pink of courtesy," is a perfect illustration. Written around 1597, before 'pink' was established as a color, the line means he is the "flower" or pinnacle of courtesy—the very best example of it. This usage survives today in the phrase "in the pink of health."
Complicating the Story: A Closer Look at the Evidence
While "the 17th century" is the generally accepted timeframe, historical records allow for a more nuanced look. The word had several other meanings, and even when 'pink' did start appearing as a pigment name, it didn't always refer to the color we imagine.
The following resource, an entry on a language forum, gathers several historical sources to create a more detailed timeline.
etymology - The origin of the word "Pink" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
This collection of answers from the English Language & Usage Stack Exchange provides specific dates and fascinating details about the historical use of the word 'pink'.
First, read the top answer, which begins with a summary you'll now find familiar. Then, scroll down to the answer by the user 'Hugh' and read the section that provides a timeline of usage, from the historical timeline to the definition of 'lake' pigments. Finally, read Hugh's descriptions of the pigments Brown Pink, Dutch Pink, and Rose Pink. Note the surprising colors of the first two.
As you've seen, the history is a bit more complex. The word 'pink' had a life as a name for a type of boat and a fish before it was firmly attached to the Dianthus flower in the 1570s. The first recorded use of 'pink' for a pigment is 1634, which firmly plants the color's name in the 17th century.
Perhaps the most fascinating detail is that the earliest pigments called 'pinks'—such as "Brown Pink" and "Dutch Pink"—were actually yellowish-oranges. They were 'lake' pigments, made by binding a plant dye to a white powder. In this context, 'pink' likely still referred to the manufacturing process or a category of pigment, rather than the final color. It was "Rose Pink," made from woods like Brazilwood, that finally gave us the reddish-pink color we associate with the name.
Conclusion
In this first lesson, we've unraveled the origin of the word 'pink,' tracing its path from a verb to a flower and, finally, to a color. The key takeaways are:
- The word 'pink' originates from a 14th-century verb meaning to cut or perforate in a decorative pattern.
- This verb gave its name to the Dianthus flower ('pinks') because of their jagged petal edges.
- The color was then named after the flower, becoming established as a color term in the English language during the 17th century.
- Before the adoption of 'pink', the color was often described as 'light red' or 'rose'.
- Early pigments named 'pink' were not always pink in color, adding a layer of complexity to the word's history as a color descriptor.
Now that we understand where the name comes from, our next lesson will delve into the material history of the color. We will explore the natural materials, such as madder root and cochineal insects, that were used to create the first pink dyes and pigments used in art and fashion.