How similar are the colour idioms of different languages?

Abstract Previous studies have indicated that some colour idioms are recognised universally, and others are culture-specific. This study compared the colour idioms of three languages from different language families: Swedish (Indo-European, Germanic); Estonian (Finno-Ugric, Finnic); Turkish (Altai, Turkic). Cognitive Metaphor Theory was used for qualitatively analysing the idioms. The results indicated that there was a large overlap in the conceptual metaphors that each language recognised. Some idioms that appeared opaque judging by their linguistic form only proved to be quite transparent when the motivations behind them were identified. The comparative examination of colour idioms across different language families provides a unique opportunity for deepening our comprehension of the extent to which cultural variations shape the way we perceive the world.