Indigo
A deep blue-violet colour; a plant used to make blue dye
Language Origin
Greek / Latin / Portuguese
Entered English
16thth century
The Story Behind the Word
Indigo comes from the Portuguese índigo, which derives from Spanish índigo, which in turn comes from the Latin indicum and Greek indikon — "the Indian dye." The root is Indos, meaning "India" (from the Indus river).
Indigo dye was one of the most prized commodities of the ancient world, used by Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and later, European textile industries. The dye itself was extracted from the Indigofera tinctoria plant, native to India and traded along ancient spice routes.
Isaac Newton included indigo as one of his seven colours of the rainbow — though modern scientists debate whether it is truly distinct from blue and violet.
Example in Context
"Her indigo dress shimmered under the gallery lights."
Did You Know?
Newton invented a seventh colour (indigo) partly to match the seven musical notes and seven days of the week — a pattern he found philosophically satisfying.
