blu

See also: Appendix:Variations of "blu"

Translingual

Symbol

blu

1. (international standards, obsolete) Former ISO 639-3 language code for Hmong Njua.

English

Alternative forms

• blu. (abbreviation)

Noun

blu (plural blus)

1. Abbreviation of blue.

Adjective

blu (not comparable)

1. Abbreviation of blue.

Albanian

Etymology

First attested in the 20th century. Borrowed from Italian blu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblu/
• Rhymes: -u

Adjective

blu (invariable)

1. blue, deep blue

   Near-synonyms: i kaltër, i mavi

   • 1933 March 4, Fletorja Zyrtare, number 12.8, Tirana, page 5:

     Pelhurë e rafsht blu për kombinazone shoferash

     Smooth blue fabric for drivers' suits

Derived terms

• manushaqe blu

Noun

blu f (definite bluja)

1. blue, deep blue (colour)

References

• FGJSSH (1980), page 157b: “blu,~ja”, “blu”
• Topalli (2017), page 225a: “blu”
• Skendi & Koçi (1950), page 50a: “blu”

Further reading

• “blu”, in FMGJSH: Fjalor i madh i gjuhës shqipe (in Albanian), 2026

Bahnar

Etymology

From Proto-Bahnaric *bluː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *bluuʔ (“thigh”); cognate with Khmer ភ្លៅ (phlɨw), Pacoh pilau and Central Nicobarese [Nancowry] pulô.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bluː/

Noun

blu

1. upper leg, thigh

Bislama

Etymology

From English blue. Cognate with Pijin and Tok Pisin blu.

Adjective

blu (attributive blufala, nominalised bluwan)

1. blue (colour)

   Solwota i gat naesfala blu kala tede.

   The ocean has a nice blue colour today.

2. (archaic) green (colour)

   Synonym: grin

Usage notes

The archaic use of blu for “green” reflects traditional Melanesian colour categorisation systems, in which many indigenous languages use a single term for what English distinguishes as “blue” and “green”; c.f. grue. The specific hue was usually understood from context, though grin (from English green) has increasingly been used specifically for green under the influence of European colour systems.

Derived terms

• blufis (“parrotfish (subfamily Scaridae)”)
• bluflaoa (“sensitive plant, sleepy plant (Mimosa pudica); nettleleaf velvetberry, dark blue seaweed (Stachytarpheta urticifolia)”)
• bluhol (deep round inland tidal waterhole with turquoise colour)
• blujin (“jeans; denim cloth”)
• blukarong (“bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus)”)
• blukros (“Blue Cross pledge”) (Catholic temperance pledge)
• blumak piko (“striped surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)”)
• blumeresin (“gentian violet, crystal violet”)
• blumuvi (“pornographic film, blue movie”)
• blusi (“open sea”)
• bluston (“copper sulphate”)
• blutel malet (“bluespot mullet (Crenimugil seheli)”)
• blutin (“beer”) (slang, especially Foster's)
• bluwota (“Amboyna wood, New Guinea rosewood (Pterocarpus indicus)”)
• bluwud (“mountain lantern-tree, jack-in-the-box (Hernandia moerenhoutiana)”)

References

• Crowley, Terry (2003), “blu”, in A New Bislama Dictionary, 2nd edition, Suva, Fiji: Institute of Pacific Studies, →ISBN, pages 55–6

Danish

Etymology

Back-formation from blues.

Noun

blu (uncountable)

1. (archaic) ashamedness, embarrassment or shyness

   Synonym: blusel

Further reading

• “blu” in Den Danske Ordbog

Istriot

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”) from Middle French bleu, from Old French blou, bleve (“pallid, wan, discoloured/discolored, blue”), from Frankish *blāu, from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, yellowish-gray”).

Adjective

blu

1. light blue, azure, sky blue
2. blue

References

• Antonio Pellizzer; Giovanni Pellizzer (1992), Vocabulario del dialetto di Rovigno d'Istria, page 126
• Cergna, Sandro (2015), Vocabolario del dialetto di Valle d'Istria‎^[1], →ISBN, →OCLC

Italian

Alternative forms

• blù (misspelling)

Etymology

Borrowed from French bleu (“blue”) from Middle French bleu, from Old French blou, bleve (“pallid, wan, discoloured/discolored, blue”), from Frankish *blāu, from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, yellowish-gray”). Doublet of biavo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblu/^*

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: blù

Adjective

blu (invariable)

1. blue (color/colour)

Noun

blu m (invariable)

1. blue (color/colour)

Quotations

• 1958, Domenico Modugno, Franco Migliacci, Volare:

  Nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare lassù

  In the blue (sky) painted blue, happy to stay up there

Derived terms

• bluastro

See also

Colors in Italian · colori (layout · text)

bianco	argento; grigio	nero
rosso; cremisi	arancione; marrone; bronzo	giallo; oro; crema
verde chiaro; limetta	verde	verde acqua; acquamarina; verde menta; verde menta scuro
ciano; azzurro; celeste; blu petrolio; foglia di tè	azzurro; celeste; celeste scuro	blu; blu scuro
violetto; indaco	magenta; viola	rosa; fucsia; porpora

Ladino

Etymology

From Italian blu, from Old French bloe, from Frankish *blāu, from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz.

Adjective

blu

1. blue (color/colour)

   Synonyms: blö, mavi

Maltese

Etymology

From Sicilian and/or Italian blu, from Old French bloe, from Frankish *blāu, from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bluː/
• Rhymes: -uː

Adjective

blu (invariable)

1. blue (color/colour)

Usage notes

• Maltese originally distinguished two shades of blue: iżraq (from medium blue towards turquoise) and ikħal (from medium blue towards black). Iżraq has fallen out of use, while ikħal has become uncommon since both have widely been replaced with the borrowing blu, which covers all shades. Though when used, most use it for light blue.

See also

Colors in Maltese · kuluri/lwien (layout · text)

abjad	griż, rmiedi, ixheb	iswed
aħmar; krimżi	oranġjo; kannella (ismar); kafelatte; ixqar	isfar; krema
limetti	aħdar
turkwas	iżraq, ċelesti (smewwi)	blu (ikħal)
vjola; indigo, nir	maġenta; vjola	roża (wardi)

Nafaanra

Verb

blu

1. to swim

   Kofi blu mu lɔɔ kre kun.

   Kofi swam across the river.

Norwegian

Adjective

blu

1. (obsolete) shy, unassuming

   Synonyms: blyg, sjenert, unnselig

Derived terms

• bluferdig
• ublu

Pijin

Etymology

From English blue. Cognate with Bislama and Tok Pisin blu.

Adjective

blu

1. blue (colour)

   Skae hem blu gud tumas.

   The sky is really blue.

Derived terms

• blumeresin (“gentian violet, crystal violet”)
• blumuvi (“pornographic film, blue movie”)

References

• Jourdan, Christine with Maebiru, Ellen (2002), “blu”, in Pijin: A trilingual cultural dictionary (Pacific Linguistics; 526), Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, →ISBN, page 24

Pnar

Etymology

From Proto-Khasian *bluː, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *bluuʔ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blu/

Noun

blu

1. thigh

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English blue. Cognate with Bislama and Pijin blu.

Adjective

blu

1. blue (color/colour)

   Synonym: blupela

Derived terms

• blupela

References

• Volker, C. A. (general editor), et al. (2008), Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin English Dictionary, Oxford University Press in association with Wantok Niuspepa, →ISBN, page 11

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• bờ lu
• bờ-lu

Etymology

From French blouse, short for blu trắng.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓəː˨˩ lu˧˧], [ʔɓlu˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓəː˦˩ lʊw˧˧], [ʔɓlʊw˧˧]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [ʔɓəː˨˩ lʊw˧˧], [ʔɓlʊw˧˧]
• Phonetic spelling: bờ lu, blu

Noun

blu

1. (garment) white coat

   Synonym: blu trắng

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /blɨː/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /bliː/

Noun

blu

1. soft mutation of plu

Mutation

Mutated forms of plu

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
plu	blu	mhlu	phlu

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.