What colour is it?

Pe liu eu ê?
What colour is it?

A rainbow = cabmdhavaz (not actually a bent sheep! but an early misunderstanding of camnivet, meaning heavenly arc)

black = diu (this also means dark)
as in Mîz Diu (the dark or black month) for November
(mutates to dhiu after fem. nouns) e.g. moaran dhiu = a blackberry

white = gwidn (for masc. nouns) (SWF: gwydn/gwynn)
as in gwidn ui = white of egg; gwîn gwidn = white wine
(sometimes undergoes soft or aspirate mutation)
e.g. maga widn avel an err/maga hwidn avel an err = as white as snow;
e.g.gwesgez en widn = dressed in white
white = gwedn/gwen (for fem. nouns)
as in Mîz Gwedngala (month of white straw) for September
(mutates to wedn/wen after fem. nouns) e.g. tezan wedn = white/yeast cake; an rozan wen = the white rose
bright/brilliant/sparkling white = cann (pronounced conn) (SWF: cann/kann)
off-white = skilwin

grey = glâz (pronounced as glaze) (SWF: glas)
(this can also mean blue or green – so, whatever the weather, you can always say "Glâz eu an môr." = the sea is blue/green/grey)
but keaz glâz = unripe cheese
grey = lûz
e.g. kei lûz = greyhound (also called a long dog = kei hîr)
e.g. gwiwer lûz = grey squirrel
e.g. leslûz = mugwort (grey herb, once used by hard-up balmaidens as a substitute for tea)
Old name for St Michael’s Mount was An Garrack Lûz en Cûz = The Grey Rock in the Wood
ash/light grey, grizzly = louyz/lûdzh
e.g. ors lûdzh = grizzly bear, pedn lûdzh = grey-haired

primary colours:
kenza liuio (SWF: kensa liwyow)

red/russet/gingery = rûz/ruz
e.g. gwiwer rûz = red squirrel
e.g. pedn ruz = a red-head (was an insult)
red/scarlet = rŷdh (SWF: rudh)
e.g. gwîn rŷdh = red wine
The town of Redruth was Resrŷdh = red ford
Rŷdhvôz = red bank/wal became Ruthvoes
vermilion/red-lead = melez
brick-red = kigliu (literally meat colour) (this is also pink, and can be used for the carnation/pink flower)

yellow = melin (SWF: melyn)
e.g. pedn melin = blond/fair-haired
e.g. melin ui = egg yolk
fiery yellow/orange = uirek (yolk/eggy coloured)
deep yellow = rŷdh-vellin
honey = mêl (SWF: mel)

blue/azure = blou (can also mean off-colour)
blue/blue-grey = glâz
but keaz glâz is not blue cheese
(for that you would have to use keaz vinid = blue-veined cheese)

secondary colours:
nessa liuio (SWF: nessa liwyow)

green = glâz (SWF: glas)
e.g. deel glâz (pronounced dale glaze) = green leaves, foliage
(gives rise to glason or glizzon = a lawn, a green)
may show soft mutation, as in an ûn lâz = the green down (metaphor for the sea)
bright/leaf green = gwêr (SWF: gwer/gwyrdh)
e.g. gwerwelz = green pasture
bottle-green = gwedrek

purple = pyrpyr
mauve = bazzom (can also used for heather flower)
indigo/violet/lilac/lavendar (no Cornish words)

orange = maligog (also a marigold)
golden = ouriek (not to be confused with eggy uirek)
e.g. êr ouriek = golden eagle
gold (metal) = our/aur

other colours:
liuio orol (SWF: liwyow aral)
brown = teual/teul (also means dark, obscure)
e.g. bara teul = brown bread
brown = donak (also means swarthy, tanned, beige or brunette)
e.g. pedn donak (brown-haired, brunette)
silver = arrans
e.g. pêl arrans = silver bal (used in the game of hurling)
silver metal/money = argan (SWF: arhans)
cream = dehen

Coloured things:
taclaw liuiez (SWF: taclow/taklow/traow ………….)

a flower = bledzhan
flowers = bledzhednaw
a tree = gwedhan/gwidhan
trees = gwŷdh (-widh in compound words)
grass = gwelz
e.g. maga gwêr avel an gwelz = as green as the grass
the sky = an ebbarn (SWF: ebren) or an neav
ground/earth = doar (SWF: dor)
the sea = an môr (SWF: mor)
sand/beach = dreath/treath
a horse = mar/marh/marth (SWF: margh)
a car = carr (also used for cart or vehicle in general) (SWF: carr/karr)
a bird = (SWF: edhen/edhyn)
hair = bleau
eyes = lygadzhaw
coat = cota
dress = pous (SWF: dillas)
trousers (pair of) = lavrak