Color Names in "Kreewu-latweeschu-wahzu wardnice" (Eng. "Russian-Latvian-German Dictionary") (1872) by K. Valdemārs

The article gives a brief insight in the late 19th century lexicographical situation in Latvia, emphasizing especially the role and place of the first Latvian dictionary that was compiled by a Latvian author - i.e., the Kreewu-latweeschu-wahzu wardnice (Eng. Russian-Latvian-German Dictionary) (1872) created by Krisjanis Valdemars. This study analyzes one particular lexical group as it is represented in this dictionary - color names. The dictionary presents a rich material for research, especially in the context of the semantics and morphology of color designations. It contains 146 entries describing colors and their shades, which include not only abstract but also a large number of specific color names.