Nacarat

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A rich, vivid orange-red shade somewhat like carnelian, sometimes used to describe fine colored fabrics or gemstones
2. A warm, deep reddish-orange hue that falls between red and orange in intensity and brightness
3. The name of a strong, glowing orange-red tint traditionally associated with certain pigments, textiles and gemstones

Etymology: Nacarat is a deep orange-red colour, and its name traces back to a drum. In Arabic, "naqqāra" meant a small drum, formed from the verb "naqara", "to hollow out", a reference to the drum's hollow shell. The term passed into Spanish and Portuguese as "nacarado", which came to describe a pinkish, pearly sheen, and from there into French as "nacarat". The link to pearls runs through the same family of words as "nacre", the iridescent lining of mother-of-pearl shells. English "nacre" and "nacarat" are thus cousins, both drawn from Spanish and French sources connected to that pearly, shimmering quality. The drum and the pearl sit together in one word family, though the colour name went its own way.