Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/albiyū

This Proto-Celtic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰós (“white”). For the semantic development, compare Old Church Slavonic свѣтъ (světŭ, “light; world”).

*albiyū f

1. luminous world, upper world, (the habitable surface of the) world
2. high mountain (especially in the Alps), alp
3. alpine pasture
4. Britain

• Proto-Brythonic: *ėlβɨð
  • Old Welsh: elbid
    • Middle Welsh: eluit, eluyd
      • Welsh: elfydd
• Goidelic:
  • Old Irish: Albu (“Scotland”)
    • → Middle Welsh: Albbu
    • Irish: Albain, Alba
      • → Welsh: Alban
      • → Cornish: Alban
      • → Latin: Albania
        • → Middle English: Albany
          • English: Albany
    • Manx: Nalbin, Albin, Albey
    • Scottish Gaelic: Alba
      • → English: Alba
• Hispano-Celtic:
  • → Latin: Albiones (ethnonym)
• → Ancient Greek: Ἀλβίων (Albíōn), Ἀλουΐων (Alouḯōn)
  • → Latin: Albiōn
    • → English: Albion
• → Proto-West Germanic: *albijā
  • Old Saxon: elbon
  • Old High German: alba, Albūn
    • Middle High German: albe, Alben
      • Bavarian: Oipn
      • German: Alpe, Alp, Alm, Alpen
• →? Latin: alpis, Alpēs (see there for further descendants)
  • → English: Alps

• Celtic Lexicon – University of Wales
• Philip Freeman (2006) “Albion, Albiones”, in John T. Koch, editor, Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, volume 1, Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 38f.
• Xavier Delamarre (2003) “albos, albios, albanos”, in Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, 2nd edition, Paris: Editions Errance, →ISBN, page 37f.