Etymograph

English

albino

Albino comes from Portuguese albino ‘albinistic, albino’, from Latin albus ‘white, dull white’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *albʰós.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*albʰós‘white’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alβos‘white’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalbus‘white, dull white’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500albinus
  5. Portuguesec. 1500–presentalbino‘albinistic, albino’
  6. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*albʰós‘white’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alβos‘white’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalbus‘white, dull white’
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500albinus
  5. Portuguesec. 1500–presentalbino‘albinistic, albino’
  6. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *albʰós ‘white’

elf, elven, oaf, 27 more

through Proto-Italic *alβos ‘white’

albedo, albumin, albumen, 26 more

through Latin albus ‘white, dull white’

album, alba, 28 more

Today it means

adj Congenitally lacking melanin pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair or feathers (or more rarely only in the eyes); born with albinism.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *albʰós / albino

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