blancus

Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Frankish *blank. Attested as an adjective from at least the 950's (writings of Leo of Naples) but also found earlier as the sobriquet of one Constantius Blancus, mentioned in a document from Ravenna dated to 893.

As this word is ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰel- (see Root #2), it is a cognate of Russian белый (belyj) and English bleach.

Adjective

blancus (feminine blanca, neuter blancum); first/second-declension adjective (Early Medieval Latin)

1. white

   Synonym: albus (Classical)

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	singular				plural
	masculine	feminine	neuter		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	blancus	blanca	blancum		blancī	blancae	blanca
genitive	blancī	blancae	blancī		blancōrum	blancārum	blancōrum
dative	blancō	blancae	blancō		blancīs
accusative	blancum	blancam	blancum		blancōs	blancās	blanca
ablative	blancō	blancā	blancō		blancīs
vocative	blance	blanca	blancum		blancī	blancae	blanca

Descendants

• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: biancu

    Gallurese: biancu

    Sassarese: biancu

  • Italian: bianco
    • → German: blanko
    • → Sabir: bianco
    • → Sardinian: biancu
  • Neapolitan: janco
  • Sicilian: jancu
• North Italian:
  • Gallo-Italic:
    • Emilian: bianc
    • Ligurian: giànco
    • Lombard: bianch
    • Piedmontese: bianch
    • Romagnol: biânc
  • Friulian: blanc
  • Ladin: blanch
  • Old Venetan: blanco
    • Venetan: bianco
      • →? Istriot: bianco
    • →? Dalmatian: blanc
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: blanc
  • Franco-Provençal: blanc
  • Old French: blanc (see there for further descendants)
  • Occitan: blanc
• Ibero-Romance: (perhaps a late import from Gallo-Romance)
  • Aragonese: blanco, blango, bllanco (Ribagorçan)
  • Old Leonese:
    • Asturian: blancu
    • Extremaduran: brancu, blancu
    • Leonese: brancu
    • Mirandese: branco
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: branco
    • Fala: blãcu
    • Galician: branco
    • Portuguese: branco (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Spanish: blanco
    • Ladino: blanko
    • Spanish: blanco (see there for further descendants)

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)

albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)	rāvus, pullus, mūrīnus (of livestock)	niger, āter, furvus, fuscus ("swarthy"), piceus (poetic)
ruber, russus, rūbidus (dark), flammeus (poetic); rutilus, pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)	rūfus, rutilus, rōbus (of oxen), croceus (poetic), aureus (poetic); fulvus (poetic), niger (of eyes), badius (of horses)	lūteus, flāvus ("blond"), lūridus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle); cēreus (poetic)
viridis, flāvus (poetic)	viridis, herbeus (of eyes), fulvus (poetic)	viridis, glaucus (poetic), caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
	glaucus (poetic), caeruleus, caesius (of eyes)	caeruleus, līvidus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus (poetic)
violāceus	purpureus (underlying shade)	roseus