Pendelican White - an idle thought.

[smokin1942]

Just an idle query about this paint colour - does anyone know where the name, used in the 76-ish production era, comes from?
It appears to be the only paint name in Rudiger's listing that is 'invented'.
A Google search produces only Rover references, other than as a family name when shorn of the final 'n'.
The pelican is a large white bird but . . . . .

Light-hearted replies sought

 

[PeterZRH]

Good question, always wondered that. Internet finds no use of the word in any other context...

 

[Horselogger]

I think it may have been a mistake in spelling “pentelican” ie pertaining to Mount Pentelicus, famed for its white marble, as used in the building of the Parthenon. Why the t originally used in English changed to d is anyone’s guess. The ancient Greeks used a different alphabet anyway.

 

[Demetris]

Horselogger is largely correct. The pendelican white actually means white of Pendeli, the mountain near Athens, one of most popular locations in Greece that provides marbles, in this case with a creamy white colour. Regarding the spelling, it is Πεντέλη in Greek, and if you want to transfer it directly to the latin alphabet it should be Penteli. However, in Greek language the letters ντ together make a diphthong so are not pronounced separately, but correspond to the sound of the English letter d. This is why in English it should be written as "Pendeli" and not "Penteli".

 

[Horselogger]

ευχαριστώ

 

[smokin1942]

I have to admit that I didn't really expect much in the way of an answer to my query, so thank you Horselogger and Demetris for the swift and erudite
response.

(For those Anglophones like me with no Greek language knowledge, Horselogger said 'Thanks')

John

 

[cobraboy]

I watched a programme on the telly last night about the building of the Parthenon, does that count ?

 

[unstable load]

Cobraboy, it puts you one up on me, so, yes!