Why are indigo and violet in the rainbow and not just purple? - eviltoast

I always learned “ROYGBIV” as the colors of the rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, violet.

What’s up with the last two? Isn’t indigo basically just dark blue? Why is it violet and not purple? Can’t it just be “ROYGBP”?

  • mookulator@wirebase.orgOP
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    1 year ago

    Well yeah. I guess my question should be “why do we learn indigo and violet when we learn about the rainbow”. It’s more cultural

    • Rexelpitlum@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      Yes, exactly.

      E.g. in Germany I don’t have heard anyone using Indigo and Purpur as major colours but only in combination with blue : “Purpurblau” and “Indigoblau” describing certain forms of blue.

      So only blue and violet in german rainbows. And ultraviolet because most of us are more engineer than poet nowadays ;-)