Definition

1. Noun:
   • Halcyon's wing: Refers specifically to the wing of the halcyon bird (the common kingfisher, Alcedo atthis), noted for its vivid, iridescent blue color.
   • Indigo blue / Metallic blue: A specific shade of blue that resembles the brilliant, shimmering blue color of a kingfisher's wing. It is a deep, lustrous blue with a metallic sheen.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Màu áo dài ấy là màu cánh trả. (That áo dài's color is halcyon's-wing blue / indigo blue.)
  • Trong ánh nắng, bộ lông của chim bói cá lấp lánh như cánh trả. (In the sunlight, the kingfisher's plumage shimmers like a halcyon's wing.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is primarily used in literary, poetic, or descriptive contexts to evoke a specific, vivid shade of blue found in nature. It is not a common term in everyday conversation but is valued for its precision and beauty in describing color.
• It can be used metaphorically to describe anything possessing a similar deep, radiant blue color.
  • Nước biển buổi sáng sớm có màu cánh trả. (The seawater in the early morning has the color of a halcyon's wing.)

Variants and Related Words

• Màu cánh trả (n): The standard compound phrase meaning "halcyon's-wing color" or "indigo blue."
• Chim trả / Chim bói cá (n): The bird itself—the kingfisher or halcyon.
• Xanh lam / Xanh nước biển (n): General terms for "blue," but they lack the specific poetic nuance of .

Synonyms

• Màu chàm (n): Indigo color. (Note: This is a more common term for a deep blue but may not imply the same metallic sheen.)
• Xanh thẫm (n): Dark blue. (A more generic descriptive term.)
• Xanh lóng lánh (n): Shimmering blue. (Descriptive of the effect, not the specific color source.)

Related Phrases / Idioms

• While there are no direct idioms using , the related bird, (kingfisher), appears in some Vietnamese idioms or folk sayings, often symbolizing beauty or rarity. The color term itself is sometimes used in fixed descriptive phrases like .

Notes on Meaning

• The term is a beautiful example of Vietnamese's descriptive and nature-based color vocabulary. The first meaning refers directly to the physical object (the wing), while the second, more common meaning, is the color derived from it.
• The reference to "bleu à éclat métallique" (blue with a metallic shine) in the Vietnamese-French dictionary perfectly captures the unique quality of this color, distinguishing it from ordinary blues.

1. Halcyon's wing
   • màu cánh trả
     indigo blue