Valiant Swoop Royal

Latin valēns, strong — present-participle of valēre, sharing root with English value and valor. As a color modifier, valiant implies a saturated-and-courageous-and-firm quality, the deep-rich color of Crusader-and-Knight-Templar military-religious-order vestment. Sits at the bold-and-chivalrous end of the grid, parallel to gallant and heroic in usage.

Old English swāpan, to-sweep-down. As a color modifier, swoop implies a fast-descending-and-arcing-down quality, the visual register of peregrine-falcon-and-stooping-hawk-swoop hand-fast-descending-and-arcing-down peregrine-falcon-and-stooping-hawk-and-eagle swooped-and-fast-descending-and-arcing-down surfaces under peregrine-falcon-and-stooping-hawk-and-eagle cliff-face-and-moorland-and-open-sky raptor-stoop-light. Sits at the modifier-and-mood end of the grid, parallel to flit and glide 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.