Albion

See also: Álbion

English

The first European map from a 1552 edition of Ptolemy's Geography, depicting "Hibernia" and "Albion" as known to the Romans.

Etymology

Ancient Gallo-Latin name for Britain, Albiōn (Middle Welsh Albbu, Old Irish Albu), is from Proto-Celtic *Albiū, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *albʰós (“white”), whence also Latin albus (“white”) and Ancient Greek ἀλφός (alphós, “whiteness, white leprosy”). The primary meaning of the Common Celtic word is "upper world" (as opposed to underworld), with semasiological development similar to e.g. Russian свет (svet, “world; light”).

It is often hypothesised that the Romans took it as connected with albus (“white”), in reference to the white cliffs of Dover.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈælbi.ən/
• (UK, also) IPA^(key): /ˈælbɪən/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Proper noun

Albion

1. (now poetic) England (or sometimes the British Isles).
2. Any of several places in the United States:
   1. A census-designated place in Mendocino County, California.
   2. A city, the county seat of Edwards County, Illinois.
   3. A town, the county seat of Noble County, Indiana, also located in Albion Township and Jefferson Township. Named after Albion, New York.
   4. A city, the county seat of Boone County, Nebraska.
   5. A village, the county seat of Orleans County, New York.
   6. A village in Lincoln, Rhode Island.
   7. A town and unincorporated community in Dane County, Wisconsin.
   8. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Albion Township.
3. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, a football team from West Bromwich, and Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., a football team from Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, UK
   • 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     The Reds laid siege to the Albion goal throughout, with Jordan Henderson striking the underside of the bar and Dirk Kuyt the inside of the post.

Derived terms

• Albion metal
• New Albion
• Perfidious Albion

 

Translations

England

• Czech: Albion
• Esperanto: Albiono
• French: Albion (fr) f
• German: Albion (de) n
• Greek: Αλβιόνα f (Alvióna)
• Italian: Albione f
• Polish: Albion (pl) m
• Portuguese: Álbion f
• Russian: Альбио́н (ru) m inan (Alʹbión), (more common) Тума́нный Альбио́н (ru) m inan (Tumánnyj Alʹbión) ("the Foggy Albion")
• Spanish: Albión f
• Swedish: Albion (sv) n

See also

• Alba (compare; cognate)
• Perfidious Albion

Anagrams

• Bailon, albino, laibon, no bail, no-bail, oliban, on bail

French

Etymology

See the English chapter above.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

IPA^(key): /al.bjɔ̃/

Noun

Albion f (uncountable)

1. (poetic, derogatory) England
   • 1793, Augustin Louis de Ximénès, L'Ère des Français:

     « Attaquons dans ses eaux la perfide Albion. »

     "Let us attack perfidious Albion in her waters."

   • 1878, Gustave Flaubert, Correspondances:

     « Et la guerre ? Et les forfanteries de la perfide Albion tournant en eau de boudin ? Farce ! Farce ! »

     "What about war? And what about the conceitedness of the perfidious Albion petering out? What a joke! What a joke!

   • 1982, Yves Martin, Perfide Albion, Saban Records:

     « Perfide Albion je te maudis / Depuis le jour où tu m’as séduit / Je pense à toi en plein Paris / C’est malgré moi j’ai le mal de ton pays

     "Damn you, Perfidious Albion / Since the day you seduced me / I think about you in the middle of Paris / It is in spite of myself that I am homesick for you"

Usage notes

Originally used simply for England, now used more extensively to encompass all The United Kingdom. Used mostly in the expression perfide Albion.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English Albion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈal.bjɔn/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -albjɔn
• Syllabification: Al‧bion

Proper noun

Albion m inan

1. (poetic) Albion, England

   mglisty Albion ― foggy Albion

Declension

Declension of Albion

	singular
nominative	Albion
genitive	Albionu
dative	Albionowi
accusative	Albion
instrumental	Albionem
locative	Albionie
vocative	Albionie

Further reading

• Albion in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Swedish

Proper noun

Albion

1. Albion

Anagrams

• albino