Knightly Mute Royal

Old English cniht, young man / knight — adjectival suffix -ly. As a color modifier, knightly implies a saturated-and-chivalrous-and-medieval quality, the deep-rich color of medieval-English-and-French knight-and-squire armorial-bearings-and-livery tradition. Sits at the bold-and-chivalrous end of the grid, parallel to gallant and cavalier.

Latin mutus, silent-or-dumb. As a color modifier, mute implies a hushed-and-tongue-stilled-and-quieted quality, the visual register of silent-film-and-monastic-mute tongue-stilled-and-cloister-quieted silent-film-and-monastic-and-cloister tongue-stilled-and-still-and-quiet surfaces under silent-film-and-monastic vigil-and-cloister hush-and-quiet vow-of-silence light. Sits at the modifier-and-mood end of the grid, parallel to hush and still in usage.

The blue of European royal court dress and regalia from the late seventeenth century forward — the color of British peers' robes, French royal sashes, the lining of the crown-jewel cases. The color refers to a saturated, slightly violet-shifted blue with the matte finish of velvet or melton wool dyed to maximum intensity: deeper than cornflower, warmer than ultramarine, with the heraldic weight of a color reserved for monarchs and the official Crown.