See also: White (homonymy)

The white is the Couleur of a heated body with approximately 5  000 °C (see the article black Body ). It is the visual feeling obtained with a luminous Specter continuous, from where the image that one gives some sometimes: “it is the color obtained by mixing the light of all the colors”. It is the light which one obtains while observing of the Dioxyde of titanium lit by the Sun of midday.

For some the white is a value and not a Couleur. Actually, the human eye regards as white any light perceived like a mixture balanced of the three primary colors. There exists an infinity of possible mixtures wavelengths giving of the white for the eye, and if the sum all wavelengths gives white, it is enough to add (within the meaning of the additive Synthèse) two complementary wavelengths like the Jaune and the Bleu or the magenta and the Vert, to obtain a white light. The distinction between different white lights can be possible, if the absorption spectra of enlightened objects do not return all the components of the two lights.

Technically, the white color is that which reflects best the solar radiations. It is very often used to protect the tanks and containers whose contents fear heat. In the hot countries, the white cars are particularly appreciated, because the white color, more easily emphasizes the line of the vehicle and while returning part of the solar rays, a better comfort allows inside. For a few years, in the Middle East and Japan, the white has been very appreciated and the rate of white cars increases, more especially as many nuances are available (pure, snow, ivory, pearly…)

If one considers the additive Synthèse (superposition of monochromatic beams luminous), the white is the meeting of all the colors, the Noir is the absence of color. If one considers the subtractive Synthèse (mixture of Pigment S, of Peinture S), the white is obtained on a virgin sheet (for little that the sheet itself white and is lit by a white light), and the black is obtained by the mixture of all the colors

In the code of colors of electrical resistances and condensers, the white color corresponds to figure 9 and a temperature coefficient of 1ppm. In the standard CEI 60757, one names it WT (abbreviation of white).

Symbolic system

Arthur Rimbaud, in Vowels , reached Synesthesia, had allotted to the white the letter " E". It embraced centres and glaciers there.

Western symbolic system

In the Symbolic system Occident ale, the white is generally associated with the purity, innocence, chastity, peace (white flag), with virginity, the marriage, spirituality (color of papacy), with holiness and the life. The origin of this symbolic system lies in the immaculate character, without presence of Noir, and absolute of the white light, and in the fact that the white is also the color of the Neige and of the maternal Lait. The color often opposed to the white is the Noir.

One says “ to bleach dirty money ”. At the time of the “week of the white” in the department stores, the bath towels, the dressing gowns and the gloves are kings, because the white washes us and us essuie.

This symbolic system of the white was already present in the ancient European cultures (Celtes, Latin…) and is probably the heiress of the symbolic system of the white within the Indo-European Trifonctionnalité (see in particular work of Georges Dumézil).

However the white is also associated with a contrary symbolic system: old age (Grey hair), the bad health (hospital) and finally death (shroud, bone), but also anguish in front of famous “the white sheet” of the students during the examinations, of the writer when it begins his work or that of the artist in front of his white table to paint.

Etymologiquement the white word comes from Germanic the blank, which meant shining, clearly, without spot , second direction: " nu". It is starting from this root that were born the words in the Latin languages: blanco (Spanish), branco (Portuguese), bianco (Italian). In the Germanic languages the words Weiss (German) or white (English) are to be brought closer to old high German wiz" the indogermanic root is " kuei" meaning " shining, clair" ; one finds this root in " Weizen" in German or " Wheat" in English, to say " céréale" in reference to the whiteness of the flour. (etymological sources data by Duden).

Asian symbolic system

In the Asian symbolic system, the white is associated with death, mourning. Death being the required passage towards a new world, she is regarded as a rebirth, whose white evokes the purity.

One finds the symbolic system black white/in the Yin-Yang.

African symbolic system

As in the Asian symbolic system, the white is also associated with death, mourning.

However, in the ancient Egypt, the white is associated with the joy and ostentation: he points out the color of the dawn, the light which triumphs over the darkness. It also represents the money whose bones of the gods are made. The white is used for the hedjet in the crown of the Pharaon S called Skhemty to represent the old kingdom of the south (High-Egypt), associated to the god Seth; in opposition to the red which represents the old kingdom of north (Low-Egypt), associated to the god Hor (Horus).

In fact, the verb “hédji” drawn from the word “hedj” (white), wants to say “to be white” but also “to destroy, be a little simpleton, to destroy, kill, cut down, perish, reverse, disobey, cancel, damage” according to the same Egyptian texts “hedji” goes from the direction of the disorder (i.e. Iséfèt to Egypt) and of Seth, the red-headed god with clear skin, assassin of Osiris in the town of Nédit.

White vibration, white spectrum

By analogy, a white Bruit is a sound having a sound Specter continuous. The impression obtained is a breath.

In a general way, a phenomenon having a continuous spectrum is often described as “white” whatever its nature.

Ethnic classification

The term white Race indicates in a generic way the unit of the composed Ethnicities individuals Leucoderme S, originating in Europe and the Middle East. The use of this terminology was particularly current in Europe as from the 19th century, according to the classification of the human people according to one of the apparent criteria (theory racialist).

" The blanc" , " blancs" is an expression of the current language to nominate the persons of the European type.

The white in art

The white is in the center of the work of Daniel Buren. It defined as of 1966 its visual tools based on a white tape alternating with another band of another color.

White square on white zone is an oil on fabric of Kasimir Malevitch created in 1917-1918.

Quotations

• “ When bottom snow, where goes the white? ”, allotted traditionally to Shakespeare, but it is not him.
• “ the white is the top of the luxury because he does not suffer the mediocrity. ”, Vincent Gregoire, designer.

Expressions

• “To be white like an aspirin/snows/a linen/a bottom” : to have the dye blafard, under the blow of a faintness or an emotion.
• “To be white like snows” : to have virgin police records.
• “To be bleached” (in a business): to be cleared, washed of any charge in a lawsuit.
• “to be made grey hair ”: to worry, panic, be made large concern.
• “To show white leg” : to show that one is animated by no bad intention.
• “To have freehand”, “I give you freehand” : to be detached of a Official Authority to act with complete freedom according to its own choices.
• “It is white bonnet and white bonnet” : two seemingly different things which actually are identical.
• “To heat with white” : in foundry, very high temperature.
• “To bleed with white” : somebody says itself to who one takes all his money (taxpaying).
• “To make cabbage” : to fail
• “white” the : heroin (color of the powder with sniffer). By metonymy one says also " neige" , " sweeten in poudre".
• “White gold” : snow (from the point of view of the ski stations)
• “Bent white wire” : fact with large easy ways; enigma without imagination
• “Knife” : knife, dagger, sword
• “To bleach under the harness” : to acquire experiment
• “Money laundering” : Process consisting in making valid of the money malhonnêtement acquired; cf: Money laundering

Beings, things and objects

Animals

white Goose, Dove, Cat, Bear

Plants

Lily, daisy, Cotton, GUI, white Grape, the flower of lily of the valley

Minerals

Diamond, quartz, Gypsum, Chalk, Calcareous, Plaster, Marble, Snow, ice, Glacier, Alabaster

Food

white Butter, white Beer, White of white, To blancmange, Egg white, Blanquette, Blanquette of Limoux, White pudding, Castle White Horse, White chocolate, Whipped cream, white Flour, Soft white cheese, Ice floe, Haricot bean, white Ham, white Martini, Meringue, white Bread, Small white, Salt, white Sugar, white Meat, white Wine,

Novels and data base

Adele Blanc-Sec (heroin of cartoon), White-Snow, Hook-White

Music, cinema and cartoon

Blue white bor, white Album of Beatles, Three Colors: White, second Blue shutter of the trilogy / White /Red.

Symbols

White square, white Flag

Uses

Full power, Money laundering, Blank vote, the white indicate the white parts of the play of failures

Others

white Workshop, White broken (color), White-red, White dove, White hermine, Blanchette, White , epithet used during the French revolution, White and black, faction rivals which were formed in Italy at the end of the 13th century, the White Coats, White knight, White collar, white Costume, white Couverture, Dîner white, Frères White, Gros white, a currency of the Middle Ages, White Lac, it there has several, White paper, white Mains, White House, Maladie of the white, Mont Blanc, Montblanc, white Noces, Noir and white, Sleepless night, White pages, white Pattes, Petits white beds, white Peur, Plus white than white, white Porcelaine, white Race, Regatta de Blanc, One season white and dries, Semaine of the white, white The, white Vallée

Gallery

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