Monday, January 26, 2026

Which came first: orange the fruit or the color?

Discover the history behind the origins of the color orange — was it the fruit or the shade that came first?
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Did orange the fruit or the color come first?

Discover the history behind the origins of the color orange - was it the fruit or the shade that came first?

Group of oranges on a table

P eople have long debated which came first: the chicken or the egg? But in the world of language, there's a similar debate raging on: Did orange the fruit or orange the color come first? 

The simple answer is that people have been enjoying the fruit since long before it was ever called an "orange," but it was indeed the fruit name that ended up inspiring the color name. The etymology can be traced back to a first-century CE Indian medical text, which makes reference to a naranga tree. This Sanskrit word once meant "fruit like elephants" — possibly in reference to how the tough and dimpled skin of the fruit felt similar to that of the giant mammal. The word later showed up as orange in French and arancia in Italian around the 12th century, solely referring to the fruit.

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Dog emoji

Dog

Meaning: Depicts a full-body dog in profile. One of several available dog emojis alongside Dog Face 🐶 (a cartoonlike representation), Guide Dog 🦮, and Service Dog 🐕‍🦺.


Evolution: The 🐕 emoji gets plenty of use in the context of a beloved pet, but it can also metaphorically represent loyalty. In Gen Z context, it might indicate being "down bad" (desperately attracted to someone) or a "simp" (overly devoted). These expressions of devotion may be genuine or used self-deprecatingly or teasingly.


Usage: [Quote tweet:] me whenever they post anything 🐕

Forgotten Souls by Cheryl W. Thompson

Forgotten Souls

By Cheryl W. Thompson

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black pilots in the U.S. military during WWII — nearly 1,000 pilots trained, and 355 pilots flew in combat missions in Europe. In "Forgotten Souls," investigative journalist Cheryl W. Thompson seeks to uncover the fate of the 27 Tuskegee airmen who were listed as missing in action. Written using historical documents and previously classified military documents, this investigative nonfiction book is recommended for those interested in WWII and Black history.

Samantha Abernethy, Word Smarts Writer

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