Etymology Map
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Albatross

3 stages from Arabic to English.

Today it means a very large oceanic bird; a burden

Where does the word "albatross" come from? It comes from Arabic al-ghaṭṭās, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1670s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
al-ghaṭṭās
Arabic · medieval
"the diver"
'the diver', used for sea birds
2
Stage 2 of 3
alcatraz
Portuguese · 1500s
"pelican"
a pelican or frigate bird; San Francisco's Alcatraz Island is named after the Spanish form
3
Stage 3 of 3
albatross
English · 1670s
"large seabird"
altered by Latin 'albus', white; Coleridge's 'Ancient Mariner' of 1798 made the albatross a burden of guilt
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Albatross’s story begins in Arabic: al-ghaṭṭās meant “the diver.” 'the diver', used for sea birds. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as alcatraz. A pelican or frigate bird; San Francisco's Alcatraz Island is named after the Spanish form. It reached English by 1670s as albatross. Altered by Latin 'albus', white; Coleridge's 'Ancient Mariner' of 1798 made the albatross a burden of guilt. Today, albatross means a very large oceanic bird; a burden.