Just a guess but I know the word for "red" in more languages than I do for the word "purple". It could be that it just makes it easier to talk about between people with different language skills.

Fuck, I just realized I only know how to say "purple" in English but I know the word for "red" in at least three. Is the word "purple" in other languages as weird as the word "purple" sounds to me right now? Does the word "purple" in other languages have better rhymes than it does in English?

I have more questions than I do answers and now we need more adults.