Alba
/ˈæl.bə/noun
A Latin word meaning “dawn” or “white,” also used in proper names and place names.
Did you know?Latin *alba* is tied to the idea of whiteness and dawn, and it survives in words like *album* and *albino*—both literally built from the same ancient color-root.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂elbʰ-
“white; bright”
Latin
Latin
albus
“white, shining, bright”
Latin
Latin
alba
“feminine form of white; dawn”
Old French
Old French
albe
“dawn, daybreak”
English
English
alba
“a dawn song or poem, especially in medieval literature; also a proper name”