White (was: Yellow)

From: Richard Wordingham Message: 18039
Date: 2003-01-24

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "tolgs001 <gs001ns@...>"
<gs001ns@...> wrote:
> >>For "white" there is clear no Latin word even if there is
> >>"albus" in latin (see Alboca, Albocensii& co for getic space)
> >
> >Why isn't <albus> a "clear" term for 'white', in your opinion?
> It's a word with an IE etymology and a host of Latin derivatives,
> and I can't see what could prevent us from regarding it as a
> basic colour term in Latin
>
> >Piotr
>
> A translation attempt: <Al. wishes to say>
>
> <<"Romanian "alb" (masc. & neutr. sing.) and "alba" (fem. sing.),
> "albi" (masc. plur.), "albe" (fem. & neutr. plur.) cannot be of ...

'Need not', not 'cannot'.

> Latin origin, since in the territory of the ancient Dacian-Moesian-
> Thracian & Illyrian populations there were toponyms such as
> "Alboca", as well as populaces known (in Latin) as "Albocensi">>.

Is the plural 'Albocensi' or 'Albocenses'?

I think the origin of Romanian 'alb' cannot easily be decided. If
a 'Dacoid' who uses an -o/-a adjective 'alb-' for 'white' in his
native tongue uses Latin albus for 'white' when he is speaking Latin,
is his 'albus' the Latin word or his native word borrowed into
Latin? How can one tell? The range of meanings he applies it to
will probably be taken from his native tongue.

Richard.