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Today it means

album

a book for photos; a collection of recordings

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Where does the word "album" come from? It comes from Latin albus, and was adopted directly into English (1650s).

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Where does the word "album" come from? It comes from Latin albus, and was adopted directly into English (1650s).

Album’s story begins in Latin: albus meant “white.” A white tablet for public notices in Rome. It reached English by 1650s as album. Record 'albums' date from the 1900s. Today, album means a book for photos; a collection of recordings.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient albus "white", a white tablet for public notices in Rome.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1650s album "blank book", record 'albums' date from the 1900s.

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