Farbtonbegriff

Farbtonbegriff is a term used in color theory to denote the concept of hue. It refers to the perceptual attribute that differentiates colors along the visible spectrum, independent of lightness (brightness) and chroma (saturation). In German-language education and design discourse, Farbton describes the base color family—such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet—while Farbtonbegriff encompasses the idea of hue as a definable category used for analysis, naming, and manipulation of colors.

In practical terms, hue is represented in color models as an angular position on a color wheel or as discrete labels. In digital models like HSL or HSV, the hue is an angle from 0° to 360°, with common anchors such as 0°/360° red, 60° yellow, 120° green, 180° cyan, 240° blue, and 300° magenta. The hue is conceptually independent from brightness and saturation, though perceptual hue can shift under changes in lighting or context.

The Farbtonbegriff underpins color harmony, palette design, and color comparison. It is central to educational settings, art, and design practice, where artists and designers manipulate hue to achieve contrast, balance, or thematic coherence. Limitations of the concept include perceptual variability: colors with different spectral compositions can share a similar hue (metamerism), and hue perception can be influenced by surrounding colors and illumination.

Historically, the term reflects long-standing German color-theory traditions, aligning with the broader English concept of hue while emphasizing linguistic and pedagogical clarity in describing color attributes.