Color Semiotics: Color as a Medium of Communicating Culture and Emotions

Abstract

Color is associated with electromagnetic radiation of a certain range of wavelengths visible to the human eye. This natural phenomenon has outgrown its technical surroundings and sparked interest of humans for a long time, eventually dispersing its influence across every aspect of human life. Colors convey meaning and it can be observed that they are widely researched in practically all scientific fields, from social and natural sciences to humanities. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the semiotics of color is universal or it differs across countries. Additionally, an analysis of the overview of idioms will try to prove that the cultural symbolism of colors is reflected in linguistic expressions of particular cultures (Croatian, English, German, Italian). The mixed-methods approach proved that colors communicate abstract and concrete concepts, emotions and perceived characteristic traits, and that some meanings are universal, while others are culture-specific.

DOI: 10.5671/ca.48.1.1