Re: Amber

From: tgpedersen
Message: 58972
Date: 2008-06-02

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Rick McCallister <gabaroo6958@...> wrote:
>
> --- stlatos <stlatos@...> wrote:
>
> > --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tgpedersen"
> > <tgpedersen@> wrote:
> ...
> >
> > > And why would anyone choose to characterize amber as "golden
> > > resin" when they are practically the same color?
> >
> > I wouldn't say all sap, pitch, or resin (whatever the original
> > range of meanings) was golden.

No, you would probably say pitch is black. So how does that get into
the discussion? The relevant resins are golden.

> > Even if the language somehow _only_ used *gi:tu to describe golden
> > amber/resin, there is no rule against redundancy in language and
> > such forms are common.

What on earth are you talking about?

...

> Maple sap is kind of clear but boils down to brown.
> Copal is black.
> Sangre de dragón, surprise, is red.
> Rubber is white sap.

Birch resin and fir resin, which is what people on the Baltic would
have seen trees sweating out, are amber colored.


Torsten