Etymology

From Proto-Italic *alβos, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elbʰós ‎(“white”). Cognates include Latin albus, Ancient Greek ἀλφός ‎(alphós, “whiteness, white leprosy”), Hittite 𒀠𒉺𒀸 ‎(alpas, “cloud”) and Middle Welsh elbid ‎(“world”).