Knightly Clove Crimson

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 clāvus, nail-shaped-aromatic-bud. As a color modifier, clove implies a warm-pungent-and-Indonesian-Spice-Island quality, the visual register of Indonesian-Spice-Island-and-Zanzibar-clove hand-warm-pungent-and-Indonesian-Spice-Island Indonesian-Spice-Island-and-Zanzibar-clove-and-Banda-Islands clove-and-warm-pungent-and-Indonesian-Spice-Island surfaces under Indonesian-Spice-Island-and-Zanzibar-clove-and-Banda-Islands Banda-Islands-and-Zanzibar-and-Maluku Spice-Islands-light. Sits at the modifier-and-flavor end of the grid, parallel to nutmeg and anise in usage.

From the Old Spanish cremesin, itself from the Arabic qirmiz — the kermes scale insect, dried and ground into a brilliant carmine dye prized in the medieval Mediterranean. For centuries the most expensive red on a draper's shelf, reserved for cardinals, kings, and the cloth that gave English the word crimson. Cooler than scarlet, deeper than rose; the color of pomegranate seeds and a serious occasion.