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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Latin ALBVS, Semitic LBN [was Re: albino
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References: <3qopna$qcq@silver.scs.unr.edu> <D9xJ5E.G6t@midway.uchicago.edu> <D9yoCF.24x@actcom.co.il>
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 18:03:43 GMT
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In article <D9yoCF.24x@actcom.co.il>, Uri Bruck <bruck@actcom.co.il> wrote:
>Daniel von Brighoff (deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu) wrote:
>: In article <3qopna$qcq@silver.scs.unr.edu>,
>: Joshua I. Sera <jsera@scs.unr.edu> wrote:
>: >Saw an article counting Old English vs. Old French words for the letter 
>: >A, and it claimed that "albino" was from Spanish/Portuguese, but before 
>: >that it was from Arabic -- the root lbn means white!
>
>: You're saying that Latin ALBVS is a borrowing from Semitic?  Could
>: you show your work, please?
>
>The Hebrew word 'lavan' from the root lvn, is a word that appears 
>already in the bible (old testament), also the 'levana' - moon. 
>The Arabic 'laban' which also means
>'milk' or 'labane'- a kind of cheese. is derived from that.
>At least the Hebrew origin predates the Latin.

Oh, I don't doubt that, but that alone proves nothing.  Is there an
Indo-Europeanist out there who can fill us in on the PIE root of 
ALBVS?  We're in interim right now and the library is closed.



-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
