Celadon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛlədən/

Definitions

1. A soft pale greenish-blue shade ; a style of ceramic ware characterized by a pale green glaze
2. A delicate muted green-blue hue ; traditionally a type of Chinese pottery with a smooth, translucent green glaze
3. A calming light greenish-blue tint ; a kind of porcelain known for its jade-like surface produced by firing a pale green glaze

Etymology: Celadon's green comes from a fictional shepherd. In Honoré d'Urfé's pastoral novel "L'Astrée," the lovesick character Céladon wore pale green ribbons, and the French soon used his name for that colour. The novel was published in the early seventeenth century, and the name spread from French into English as a term for a soft, greenish-blue shade. The name itself is older. "Celadon" appears as a warrior's name in Ovid's "Metamorphoses," and d'Urfé drew on that classical Latin form when he named his lovelorn hero. Some scholars connect the name to the Ancient Greek "kélados," meaning "din" or "clamour," though the link is not certain.