vermejo

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• uermego, uermeio, vermeio, vermello (non-standardized spellings)

Etymology

From Latin vermiculus (“little worm”), diminutive of vermis (“worm”), in reference to kermes-yielding worms.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βeɾˈmeʒo/

Adjective

vermejo m (feminine vermeja, masculine plural vermejos, feminine plural vermejas)

1. red
   • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 3v:

     […] Et esto faze por q̃ a en ella natura de sufre uermeio.

     […] And it does this because it has in it the nature of red sulfur.

   • Idem, f. 4r.

     […] Vermeia es de color mas non mucho ca tira una grand partida a color amariella.

     […] It is red in color, but not a lot, because for the most part it is more yellow.

   • Idem, f. 19r.

     De natura es fria ⁊ ſeca. Et de peſo liuiana por que es poroſa. Aſpera es en tiento. ⁊ de color parda con gotas uermeias.

     It is cold and dry in nature, and light in weight, for it is porous. It is rough to the touch, and it is dun in color with red drops.

   • Idem, f. 119r.

     […] ⁊ negra de color. ⁊ aſpera. ⁊ a en ella puntos ũmeios. ⁊ aſperos. ⁊ es muy dura.

     […] and [it is] black in color, and rough, and it has rough red dots on it, and it is very hard.

Noun

vermejo m (plural vermejos)

1. red, crimson
   • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 3v:

     Et la color deſta piedra es mezclada de uerde con uermeio. pero la uerdura della es tan flaca que tira a amariello.

     And the color of this stone is mixed between green and red, but the greenness is so slight that it tends more toward yellow.

Derived terms

• vermejura

Descendants

• Spanish: bermejo