Kory Stamper explores the complex history of color naming in new book

Lexicographer Kory Stamper explores the complex intersection of linguistic chaos and scientific precision in her new book, ‘True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Colour – from Azure to Zinc Pink’ (Knopf, 2026).

The work examines how color naming has evolved from simple descriptors to highly specific, often confusing commercial terms used in modern paint aisles. Stamper focuses on the 1961 Merriam-Webster Third Edition, a period in postwar America when scientists were recruited to provide more precise definitions for the color lexicon to gain a market edge.

The history of these definitions includes efforts by figures such as chemical engineer Isaac Godlove, who attempted to distill colors into technical, wavelength-based descriptions, often resulting in definitions that were difficult for laypeople to understand.