Etymology, spelling, and grammar

The word blonde was first attested in English in 1481 and derives from Old French blont and meant a "colour midway between golden and light chestnut".Fact: date=September 2008 It largely replaced the native term fair, from Old English fæger. The French (and thus also the English) word blonde has two possible origins. Some linguists say it comes from Medieval Latin blundus, meaning yellow, from Old Frankish *blund which would relate it to Old English blonden-feax meaning grey-haired, from blondan/blandan meaning to mix. Also, Old English beblonden meant dyed as ancient Germanic warriors were noted for dying their hair. However, other linguists who desire a Latin origin for the word say that Medieval Latin blundus was a vulgar pronunciation of Latin flavus, also meaning yellow. Most authorities, especially French, attest the Frankish origin. The word was reintroduced into English in the 17th century from French, and was for some time considered French, hence blonde for females/noun and blond for males/adjective.

Some writers of English may continue to distinguish between the masculine blond and the feminine blonde"Blonde/Brunet" from The American Heritage Book of English Usage (1996) and, as such, it is one of the few adjectives in English with separate masculine and feminine forms. However, many writers use only one of the spellings without regard to gender, and without a clear majority usage one way or another. The word, especially the feminine blonde form, is also often used as a noun to refer to a woman with blonde hair, but American Heritage's Book of English Usage propounds that this particular employment of the term is an example of a "sexist stereotype: that women are primarily defined by their physical characteristics". (Another hair color word of French origin, brunet(te), also functions in the same way in orthodox English.)

The word is also occasionally used, with either spelling, to refer to objects that have a color reminiscent of fair hair. Examples include pale wood and lager beer.

Varieties

Many sub-categories of blond hair have also been invented to describe someone with blond hair more accurately. Common examples include the following:

• blond/flaxen – when distinguished from other varieties, "blond" by itself refers to a light but not whitish blond with no traces of red, gold, or brown. This color is often described as "flaxen".
• yellow – yellow-blond ("yellow" can also be used to refer to hair which has been dyed yellow).
• platinum blond / towheaded – white-blond; found naturally almost exclusively in children. "Platinum blond" is often used to describe dyed hair, while "towheaded" is generally left to natural hair color.
• sandy blond – greyish-brownish blond.
• golden blond – rich, golden blond.
• strawberry blond / Venetian blond – light reddish blond.
• dirty blond / dishwater blond – light blond and sandy blond mixed together in stripes (occurs naturally)
• ash-blond – pale or grayish blond.
• bleached blond / peroxide blond – artificial blond slightly less white than platinum blond.