English
cyan
Cyan comes from Ancient Greek κύανος ‘dark blue enamel, especially used to adorn…’, and goes back to Proto-Hellenic *kúwanos.
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kúwanosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκύανοςkúanos‘dark blue enamel, especially used to adorn armour’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009cyan
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*kúwanosreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEκύανοςkúanos‘dark blue enamel, especially used to adorn armour’
- Englishearliest quotation 2009cyan
Earliest quotation: 2009, Harry Henderson, Computer Science and Technology: “CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This…”
The story
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κύανος (kúanos), a shade of blue variously described as similar to cornflower, copper carbonate, and lapis lazuli, Mycenaean Greek 𐀓𐀷𐀜 (ku-wa-no), possibly from Hittite [script needed] (kuwannan-, “a precious stone; copper; shade of blue”) - likely from Kuwanniya, all going back to kuwanna (woman), related to "queen" and γυνή.
Every English word from Proto-Hellenic *kúwanos
Today it means
noun An additive secondary colour midway between green and blue, evoked by wavelengths between ~490 and ~520 nm.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Hellenic *kúwanos / cyan