Blae

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Fruiting clusters of wild blueberry-like plants often found growing in heathlands
2. The small, edible, dark blue fruit similar to blueberries that grows in abundance in certain regions
3. Describing a type of berry that is commonly used in jams and desserts, recognizable by its distinctive color and flavor

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this Scots word is that its ancestor meant darker than modern "blue." It comes from Old Norse "blár," which described deep, dark colours, often dark blue or nearly black. Norse speakers settled in northern Britain, and the word passed into the northern dialects of English. Its Old English relative "blǣw" became the ancestor of standard "blue," which took a lighter sense, so the two words split apart from a shared Germanic root. In Scots the word kept the dim, shadowy sense. It describes a pale, bluish-grey tinge, such as skin turned chilly or bruised, or a fruit's dusky bloom. The word stayed in northern use while standard English moved toward brighter blues.

Synonyms: blue, grayish blue, bluish

Antonyms: red, yellow