naw, its the french poisoning your mind
green in french is vert
For those of us in the US, we’re more likely to encounter the Spanish “verde.”
Given most of the US population lives between Massachusetts and Florida (so would likely have more of French exposure via English and history) , and the French influence in lots of English, it’s a toss up.
I certainly learned the French vert long before the Spanish verde.
You’re telling me you never encountered salsa verde before learning the French word “vert”? Even if true, I highly doubt that’s the norm.
And I’m not sure why you think being on the East Coast matters. 13% of Americans speak Spanish at home, less than 0.4% speak French or Cajun at home. That’s a ridiculously huge region you’ve cited that includes NYC where you’re probably going to visit a bodega long before you learn “vert” and Florida which has major Spanish influence, just like the other two most populous states California and Texas. I live about 100 miles from the Canadian border in the west, so by your geographic argument I should encounter more French than Spanish, but Spanish exposure is way more common here.
