- ἀλφός
- ἀλφόςGrammatical information: m.Meaning: `dull-white leprosy' (Hes.).Derivatives: ἀλφώδης `leprosus' (Gal.). As adj. : ἀλφούς λευκούς H.; besides ἀλωφούς λευκούς (s. below).Origin: IE [Indo-European] [30] *h₂elbʰo- `white'Etymology: Identical with Lat. albus, Umbr. alfu `alba'. (Forms with PIE d (s. κεμάς) prob. in the word for `swan', e.g. OHG albiz, OCS lebedь prob. not here). Many geogr. names are compared, esp. river-names like Άλφειός, Lat. Albula; Lat. Albis = NHG. Elbe; also ONo. elfr `river'. On the river-names Krahe Beitr. z. Namenforschung 4, 40ff. However, most of these names are probably of non-IE origin. - The form ἀλωφός (H.) was compared with Arm. aɫawni `pigeon' (IE. *alǝ-bh-n-), but there is now a different explanation of this word (*pl̥h₂-bʰ-ni-, Klingenschmitt 1982, 68 n. 11). The relation ἀλφός : ἀλωφός cannot be explained within IE; perhaps ἀλωφός is a simple mistake: φ misread as ω?). On ἀλφός Osthoff IF 8, 64ff. - IE bʰ in colour names is frequent (ἄργυφος).Page in Frisk: 1,81-82
Greek-English etymological dictionary (Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά ετυμολογική λεξικό). Robert S.P.. 2010.