A Little Book on Colors

...duracini, some Italian peoples call Cerafolum.
But the same people also used to call a calf Burrhus, if it had a reddish muzzle. But a man is Burrhus who, after a meal, with food and drink, becomes red; some call this man Rubidus. Rubeus is also found, even if some unlearned people have warned that the word is not Latin. Yet, since one may read among not-bad authors that wine is perchance made from black grapes, but sweet wine from red ones; and since a red ox is approved of, the word is entirely rustic, and the color is not exactly the same as Ruber (red), but comes very close to it. What of the fact that Russeus is also read? A certain one of the ancient grammarians denies it can be said, and insists on Russus, from which cloth is Russatus. Both are certainly Latin, but belong more to the plowman than to the orator; for those who live in the country have their own words, unheard of by some city-dwellers. They call a horse Russeus which is not completely Russus, but having somewhat less redness, it appears almost the same. But because this one is like something bloodstained, today it is commonly called saginatus (fattened), as if sanguinatus (bloody), although sometimes horses of this name turn white.

RUBER (RED) CHAP. VIII.

Coccus.

The blood of living creatures indicates red most strongly, and Coccus, the grain which is so called by our people, with which wool is dyed, from which comes the garment that is Coccina (scarlet), unknown to no one. Yet the liquid of the purple-fish shows off this color more than other things; its color is so pleasing that if anything has a little bit of redness, it becomes not unpleasant to the sight. Purpureus. Purpureus (purple) is often used, as are violets and various kinds of flowers: nay, even candidus (white/bright)—for this too detains the eyes—is sometimes called by the poets