albino

Where does the word "albino" come from? It comes from Latin albo, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1770s).

Albino’s story begins in Latin: albo meant “white.” White, the root describing a lack of pigmentation. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as albino. Coined by Portuguese explorers describing people with pale skin they encountered in Africa. It reached English by 1770s as albino. Portuguese explorers used it for pale-skinned people they met on the West African coast. Today, albino means a person or animal with a congenital absence of pigment.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient albo "white", white, the root describing a lack of pigmentation.
2. Stage 2 · Portuguese · 1600s albino "a person lacking normal pigmentation", coined by Portuguese explorers describing people with pale skin they encountered in Africa.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1770s albino "a person or animal lacking normal pigmentation", Portuguese explorers used it for pale-skinned people they met on the West African coast.