Los nombres de color del español: De su composición y sus propiedades gramaticales

Colour terms in Spanish are a heterogeneous and large set in origin and morphology: there are basic colour terms, which can function as adjectives or nouns (verde, blanco, azul, rojo…) and secondary colour terms with a binary structure N1(+basic colour)-N2(object/proper name) (verde esmeralda, blanco hueso, azul cielo, rojo Corintio…), as well as referential terms, which refer primarily to a physical object in which colour is a prominent feature (naranja, granate, lila, carmín…). Finally, there is a set of colour terms which can only function as adjectives by means of adjectival suffixation (verdoso, blancuzco, azulino, rojizo…). Such diversity brings about variable behaviour in identification tests (such as Este color es el + N – This colour is + N) as well as in grammatical tests (derivation, quantification, etc.).