Etymology

Albany

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Today it means: Scotland north of the River Forth. Full definition →

Middle English Albany ← Medieval Latin Albania ← Old Irish Albu, Albain, Alban
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Albany · proper noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*albʰós
  2. Proto-Celtic*albiyū
  3. Old IrishAlbu, Albain, Alban
  4. Medieval LatinAlbania
  5. Middle EnglishAlbany
  6. English todayAlbany

From Middle English from Medieval Latin Albania (“Scotland”), from Scottish Gaelic Alba (“Scotland”), from Old Irish Albu (“Britain, Scotland”), from Proto-Celtic *albiyū (“world”, literally “white (place)”) (compare Old Welsh elbid (“world”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰos (“white”), possibly in reference to the White Cliffs of Dover. Doublet of Albania.

Albany · proper noun2

From Middle English Albany ("Scotland"), a Scottish duchy created in 1398 and bestowed upon younger sons of the King of Scots which became a British title upon the 1707 Act of Union.

Albany · proper noun3

Named in honor of the crown prince James, Duke of Albany and York

Albany · proper noun4

Named in honor of Albany, the capital city of New York state

Albany · proper noun5

Named in honor of Prince Frederick, duke of Albany and York, the second son of King George III of Britain

Albany · proper noun6

Named in honour of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and son of Queen Victoria of Britain

Albany · proper noun7

Unknown

Words from the same roots

Medieval LatinAlbania all →

Albania

Scottish GaelicAlba all →

alba

Proto-Indo-European*h₂elbʰos all →

elf

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.