Albion

See also: Álbion

English

The first European map from a 1552 edition of Ptolemy's Geography, depicting "Hibernia" and "Albion" as known to the Romans.

Etymology

Ancient Gallo-Latin name for Britain, Albiōn (Middle Welsh Albbu, Old Irish Albu), is from Proto-Celtic *Albiū, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *albʰós (“white”), whence also Latin albus (“white”) and Ancient Greek ἀλφός (alphós, “whiteness, white leprosy”). The primary meaning of the Common Celtic word is "upper world" (as opposed to underworld), with semasiological development similar to e.g. Russian свет (svet, “world; light”).

It is often hypothesised that the Romans took it as connected with albus (“white”), in reference to the white cliffs of Dover.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈælbi.ən/
• (UK, also) IPA^(key): /ˈælbɪən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Proper noun

Albion

1. (now poetic) England (or sometimes the British Isles).
2. Any of several places in the United States:
   1. A census-designated place in Mendocino County, California.
   2. A city, the county seat of Edwards County, Illinois.
   3. A city, the county seat of Boone County, Nebraska.
   4. A village, the county seat of Orleans County, New York.
   5. A town and unincorporated community in Dane County, Wisconsin.
   6. A village in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
3. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, a football team from West Bromwich, and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., a football team from Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, UK
   • 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     The Reds laid siege to the Albion goal throughout, with Jordan Henderson striking the underside of the bar and Dirk Kuyt the inside of the post.

Derived terms

• perfidious Albion

Translations

England

• Czech: Albion
• Esperanto: Albiono
• French: Albion (fr) f
• German: Albion (de) n
• Greek: Αλβιόνα f (Alvióna)

• Italian: Albione f
• Portuguese: Álbion f
• Russian: Альбио́н (ru) m (Alʹbión), (more common) Тума́нный Альбио́н (ru) m (Tumánnyj Alʹbión) ("the Foggy Albion")
• Swedish: Albion (sv) n

Anagrams

• Bailon, albino, laibon, no bail, no-bail, oliban, on bail

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈal.bjɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -albjɔn
• Syllabification: Al‧bion

Proper noun

Albion m inan

1. (poetic) Albion, England

Usage notes

Often used with the adjective mglisty (“foggy”).

Declension

Declension of Albion

	singular
nominative	Albion
genitive	Albionu
dative	Albionowi
accusative	Albion
instrumental	Albionem
locative	Albionie
vocative	Albionie

Further reading

• Albion in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• Albion in Polish dictionaries at PWN

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Swedish

Proper noun

Albion

1. Albion

Anagrams

• albino