] I wonder if "marone" doesn't refer to the French word for chestnuts, that deep reddish brown sort of colour.

This is the colour that I would call maroon.

And this is the colour I would call chesnut.

So which colour was "marone"? Is it this colour, this colour or something entirely different depending on whether you are French or English?

And you are right, Linden. As far as I can tell, Australians see and write the colour maroon but say "maroan" (as I imagine marone is pronounced) Is this an example of Regency parlance surviving in our remote colony?