Laban
/ˈlæb.ən/noun
A fermented milk drink or cultured dairy product traditionally consumed in the Middle East.
Did you know?Laban comes from a Semitic root meaning “white,” also reflected in the Hebrew name Lavan and traditionally connected with the name Lebanon, possibly referring to its pale limestone or snowy mountains.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*lbn
“White; a reconstructed root associated with whiteness and milk”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
לָבָן (Lavan)
“White; also the personal name Laban in the Hebrew Bible”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
لَبَن (laban)
“Milk, especially cultured or fermented milk”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
لبن (laban)
“Milk or a fermented dairy beverage”
20th Century
English
laban
“A Middle Eastern fermented milk drink or cultured dairy product”