Green

Record Validation Evidence: Wikipedia/Green

The word green comes from the Middle English and Old English word grene, which, like the German word grün, has the same root as the words grass and grow. It is from a Common Germanic *gronja-, which is also reflected in Old Norse grænn, Old High German gruoni (but unattested in East Germanic), ultimately from a PIE root *ghre- "to grow", and root-cognate with grass and to grow. The first recorded use of the word as a color term in Old English dates to ca. AD 700.

Latin with viridis also has a genuine and widely used term for "green". Related to virere "to grow" and ver "spring", it gave rise to words in several Romance languages, French vert, Italian verde (and English vert, verdure etc.).

Thus, the languages mentioned above (Germanic, Romance, Slavic, Greek) have old terms for "green" which are derived from words for fresh, sprouting vegetation. However, comparative linguistics makes clear that these terms were coined independently, over the past few millennia, and there is no identifiable single Proto-Indo-European or word for "green". For example, the Slavic zelenъ is cognate with Sanskrit hari "yellow, ochre, golden". The Turkic languages also have jašɨl "green" or "yellowish green", compared to a Mongolian word for "meadow". Likewise the Slavic languages with zelenъ.

#00FF00, known as "Green", falls into the Green Color Family — Full Saturation, Light brightness. The mix behind it: rgb(0, 255, 0) — 0% red, 100% green, 0% blue; the print equivalent is CMYK 100 / 0 / 100 / 0. Curious how these numbers work? Read our RGB color codes guide.

A intensely saturated green, #00FF00 carries an easy, daylight feel. Expect to see shades like this in accents, call-to-action elements and statement visuals. In The Official Register of Color Names it is just a few steps away from Fluro Green (#0AFF02). Slightly further away sit Fluorescent Green (#08FF08) and Highlighter Green (#1BFC06).

Technically, the mix leans on its green channel (rgb(0, 255, 0)), which gives #00FF00 its character. Accessibility-wise, black text works best on #00FF00: 15.3:1 contrast (passing WCAG AAA) versus 1.4:1 for white. This precise shade carries the officially registered name "Green" in the Register.