French folk etymology: bleu-jaune

[Victor]

I find the Swedish legend kind of silly--even as far as this kind of
legend goes. Given that all the Scandinavian flags are, for lack of
better word, homographous*--yes, I am aware of the linguistics-specific
similar terminology--it seems the origin of all those flags is closely
related, e.g., from the relations of the royal lines.

But, more to the point, a quick hit on Google points in a completely
different direction. It seems that "blue-john" was derived from
"bleu-jaune" and not vice versa. It seems that the crystalline structure
of the mineral includes bands of yellow and darker color spar, which
makes it fairly unusual both because of banding and because of the
apparent blue color, which is not found in fluorite of other origin.
When one simply looks at the exterior, only the blue color is obvious.

Given that both names have coexisted for some time--certainly for at
least a couple of hundred years *prior* to either of the Swedish
films--it stands to reason that this is the correct explanation.

For more info got to the site
http://www.bluejohnstone.co.uk/
    The form of fluorite unique to Castleton is banded purple and yellow
or grey and is known as Blue John.

    VS-)

*I suppose, alternatives would be "homoschematic" or "homoschemous", but
these are a mouthful. Another alternative would be "paraschematic", but
this one is also used differently in linguistic sense. Of course, the
meaning I am looking for has nothing to do with linguistics. Perhaps I
can simply go with homologous--that would actually match well with the
mathematical meaning of the word. Mostly, I am just having fun with
words. ;-)

Wilson Gray wrote:
> I don't understand your reply, Mark. You say that, according to
> Wikipedia, there's no connection, then you provide a cite from
> Wikipedia that shows that there *is* a connection.
>
> FWIW, the subtitling was provided by an old friend of mine, the late
> Martin "Marty" Minow, a nephew of the better-known Newton "Television
> Is a Vast Wasteland" Minow. Though he never specifically stated that
> there was a connection between the two movies - well, given that the
> titles refer to the colors of the Swedish flag, there cannot *not* be
> *some* connection between the two, unless you want to claim that the
> colors of the Swedish flag are themselves accidental - he also never
> said anything to indicate that they had nothing to do with each other.
>
> "While in Sweden, I helped translate three Swedish films:  I am
> Curious Yellow, I am Curious Blue, and They Call Us Mods."
>
> http://www.merrymeet.com/minow/
>
> Again, FWIW, a Swedish friend told me that, essentially, the colors of
> the Swedish flag commemorate the miraculous appearance of a gold cross
> against a blue sky that assured the Swedes that it was indeed God's
> will that they conquer the Finns and dispossess them of of their land,
> Manifest Destiny-style.
>

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