We can all vividly imagine the color of the sea. Most have associations with turquoise blue water with an emerald hue. However, the “pallet” of names as well as reservoirs is much wider. And mostly this is due to the variety of shades. There are other hypotheses about their origin. What are the origins of the etymology of the names Black, White, Red and Yellow Sea?

Unique Yellow Sea

The name of the Yellow Sea, located in East Asia, is the easiest to explain. It sounds like “Huanghai” which literally means “Yellow Sea” in Chinese. The secret is simple – it flows into the fast Yellow River of the same name, which carries a huge amount of mineral deposits, sand and silt in its waters, giving it the appropriate shade.

Every year, the Yellow River widens the sea delta due to sediments in the amount of 1380 tons, reducing the level of its already insignificant depth – only 106 meters. The yellowish and muddy color of the reservoir determined its name.

The saltiest and most unusual Red Sea

Located within the Indian Ocean, the waters of the Red Sea are beautiful at sunset because at this time of day the reservoir appears red. However, there are three versions of the etymology of the place name.

1. The unique eco world of the reservoir. The water is colored by the smallest benthic vegetation, namely Eritrean moss, which gives the lake a purple color in seasonal bloom.
2. The special color of the coast, which consists of red mineral rock deposits.
3. It is a long tradition to mark reservoirs according to their location in the world. The Arabs marked the south in red, which gave the sea its name.

According to the biblical version, Moses led his people from this sea. Its waters split in front of the travelers and buried them under the waves of their pursuers. Brown is the color of the blood of enemies.

The uniqueness of the reservoir not only gives it a special shade of water, but also the state of the saltiest sea and the complete absence of rivers and streams flowing into it!

North White Sea

The White Sea owes its hydronym to its special geographical location. Its proximity to the Arctic Ocean and its harsh climate have rewarded its waters with a surface surrounded by white ice and snow for most of the year. Where the waves splash freely, the lake reflects the yellow northern sky that turns the sea white.

According to another version, the name is a place name meaning “holy, pure, bright.” The ancient Slavic peoples even compared its color with divine brilliance.

Black Sea

If you were to pick a record holder for the number of names that change across the reservoirs, it would definitely be the Black Sea. It has managed to change 340 options known to scientists throughout its history! It was no coincidence that Black remained, though. There are several versions of the gloomy name.

1. Muddy dark bottom.
2. Color symbolism, as some peoples associate the north with black.
3. The waters darken terribly during storms and strong storms, which is why the ancient Greeks called the sea “hospitable.”
4. The toponym obtained by the reservoir from the Turkic peoples nicknamed the sea “Black Sea”. Literally translated, it meant “Black Sea”, meaning terrible, hostile and powerful.
5. Another hypothesis is based on observations of our ancestors who recorded how quickly metal anchors thrown into their waters darken. This was due to large deposits of hydrogen sulfide at the bottom.

Despite such a gloomy name, in clear weather the reservoir pleases the eye with a blue-green ebb.

The ambiguity of the names of the seas is obvious. Previously, this “pallet” was complemented by the Blue Sea, now known as the Aral Sea. Such colorful names are not accidental, as each one has its own character, history and special natural beauty!