Post B1wPgV9yoZuMaI41Wy by halberd@poa.st
 (DIR) More posts by halberd@poa.st
 (DIR) Post #B1wPgV9yoZuMaI41Wy by halberd@poa.st
       2026-01-04T10:43:00.313265Z
       
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       A few weeks back a discussion arose over what "dark" used to mean when describing a person's appearance. I wanted an example on hand, so I'll post this in case something similar comes up again.This is quoted in Chandler's "The Campaigns of Napoleon":> ...Bacler d'Albe, who served Napoleon with hardly a break from 1796 to 1813, “a little dark man, handsome, pleasant, well-educated, talented and a good draughtsman.”
       
 (DIR) Post #B1wPgWDYskMprgkOki by kamehamic@poa.st
       2026-01-04T12:26:11.595305Z
       
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       @halberd >It's not about the skinHowever I don't see what "dark" describes in this context.
       
 (DIR) Post #B1xEeKh3qx4NCrGDa4 by halberd@poa.st
       2026-01-04T20:32:57.555774Z
       
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       @kamehamic I had thought it referred to hair color, but this guy doesn't seem to have especially dark hair. Sometimes it's depicted as pretty light.Looking at the pictures, this guy's cheeks and nose seem built in a way to cast more shadows on himself than normal. Also, his hair projects over his face a bit. So maybe "dark" just means "slightly more shadowed than expected, whether unintentional or intentional". Someone could be "dark" because of their hairstyle, or because they tend to wear hats pulled low and stand in corners, fitting with the "mysterious personality" interpretation that I saw put forward.(Alternatively, in the second picture I posted, he looks like he might have a tan. Maybe the word just meant "tanned" and he spent more time outdoors than the average French soldier.)