Re: Iridescent

From: Guy Hoyle <ghoyle1_at_...>
Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 14:48:55 -0500

At 01:38 PM 6/25/01 -0400, you wrote:
> > No iridescent means 'changes colour depending on how light falls on
> > it'. If the change is to a different colour of purple, or the bulk of the
> > colours seen are purple, then it is described as 'iridescent purple'.
>
>Well, this isn't worth beating into the ground, so I'll quote the Chambers
>entry (which appears to require more than one colour to appear) and leave
>it at that.
>
>iridescence - play of rainbow colours, caused by interference, as on
>bubbles, mother-of-pearl, some feathers.
>adjective iridescent - coloured like the rainbow; glittering with changing
>colours.
>Ety. as for Iris.
>Iris ... the Greek Rainbow goddess.
>
>In our world iridescence wouldn't include purple because it's a mixture
>rather than part of the rainbow, but that depends on some fairly deep
>physics and needn't apply in Glorantha. Is Iris a Gloranthan deity? Is
>there a myth about the rainbow?

I didn't mean it to evolve into a mythfight, either, but I am sure I've seen this usage before. The effect I'm going for is that the berries are purplish in color, but the surface has a rainbow shimmer or sheen in the light. I don't see the two as mutually exclusive, even by your definition. It has a rainbowlike luster that does not obscure its true color. If you can suggest a better phrase or description, I might use it, but I don't think my usage is incorrect here.

For the record, www.yourdictionary.com defines iridescence as:

1 : a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes 2 : a lustrous or attractive quality or effect

and http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=iridescent*1+0 says: showing many bright colours which change with movement Her latest fashion collection features iridescent materials which make the models seem to be clothed in exotic butterfly wings.

If we need to discuss this anymore, let's take this offline, as this really doesn't have anything to do with Glorantha or Hero Wars anymore.

Guy