8. From blue stockings to blue movies: Color metonymies in English

The contribution discusses metonymic color expressions in English, with a focus on the color ‘blue’, as meaning extensions of basic color terms. Color metonymies can on the one hand be seen as culture dependent, but on a deeper level of analysis seem to rely on universal natural features, which may predestine them for being used in emotional expressions. After a summary of research results on color terms and a discussion of the concept of metonymy, examples concerning the color ‘blue’ are analyzed within a radial network ofmeaning. In a last step, the potential of such networks as an inroad to intercultural learning within foreign language teaching is pointed out.