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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
The colour adjectives 
and 
have been discussed by R. Strömberg, who has removed misconceptions about their meaning. So 
has been shown to mean, not ‘quite white’ (L.S.J.), but a faded white, or one which has lost its essential whiteness: so often where the ‘natural colour has yielded to a dull dirty whitish colour’.
page 96 note 1 Greek Prefix Studies (1946), pp. 66–68.Google Scholar
page 96 note 2 So in medical use, of a sickly pale skin (Hp. Epid. 6. 8. 16), of a sick person's lips (Progn. 1. 81. 6). Also of a bleached, pale yellow in Theophrastus: note here especially H.P. 7. 3. I, of the fruit of the 
The final words dispose of the sense ‘pure white’ for this passage.
page 96 note 3 There is no word 
for variation from black. There is a late verb 
‘be darkened’ in Heraclitus, Allegories, with intensive sense. Still later (Olymp. Alch.) occurs 
‘lose colour’, which does indeed show the sense of departure from the colour. On the other hand, 
‘with white on it’ is answered by 
and 
also make a pair.
page 96 note 4 Later 
assumed a different sense, with intensive 
and so describes blushing (Arist. Probl. 869 a 8). This intensive use is also seen in 
‘very pale’, which is the only other 
colour adjective in Greek. With this we may compare the force of ex- in Latin expallidus.