Smoldering Nymph Violet

The progressive participle of smolder, to burn slowly without flame. Used as a color word since the late nineteenth century for the deep reds and oranges of barely-flame coal — the warm saturated darks where the heat is internal rather than emitted. Sits in the bold-and-warm corner, slightly less luminous than burning and slightly less calm than rich.

Greek νύμφη, nature-spirit-and-young-bride. As a color modifier, nymph implies a nature-spirit-and-grove-and-spring quality, the visual register of Hellenic-nymph-and-grove-and-spring hand-nature-spirit-and-grove-and-spring Hellenic-nymph-and-grove-and-spring-and-Arcadian-pastoral nymph-and-nature-spirit-and-grove surfaces under Hellenic-nymph-and-grove-and-spring-and-Arcadian-pastoral Mediterranean-grove-and-stream dappled-grove-light. Sits at the modifier-and-myth end of the grid, parallel to dryad and nereid in usage.

Viola odorata, the European sweet violet — small, fragrant, and the original meaning of the color name in English (the Violet of the rainbow). The color refers to a fresh sweet violet blossom in late winter: a saturated, slightly red-shifted deep blue-purple with the matte finish of small five-petaled flower. Cooler than amethyst, warmer than indigo, with the perfumed weight of a flower used in Roman garlands and Victorian eau de toilette.