galbinus

Latin

Etymology

Unknown, perhaps from galbanum, but the process is morphologically unclear. May be connected to an uncertain bird called galbus or similar, and may be somehow related to the earlier fashion color term mēlinus (yellow (in women's fashion)) (from Greek), as they share the relatively rare -inus short ending and the meaning.

Unrelated with Proto-Germanic *gelwaz, which is instead related with Latin helvus.

Not attested in Republican Latin.

Pronunciation

Adjective

galbinus (feminine galbina, neuter galbinum); first/second-declension adjective

  1. (fashion) canary-colored
  2. effeminate
    Synonym: mollis

Usage notes

  • In fashion, this color was considered to be feminine in the early Roman Empire.
  • This shade with fewer fashion associations was expressed as lūteus and more poetically as croceus.

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative galbinus galbina galbinum galbinī galbinae galbina
genitive galbinī galbinae galbinī galbinōrum galbinārum galbinōrum
dative galbinō galbinae galbinō galbinīs
accusative galbinum galbinam galbinum galbinōs galbinās galbina
ablative galbinō galbinā galbinō galbinīs
vocative galbine galbina galbinum galbinī galbinae galbina

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Albanian: gjelbër
  • Aromanian: galbin
  • Franco-Provençal: jôno
  • Old French: jalne, jaune
  • Old Lombard: galdo
  • Romanian: galben, galbinpopular, galbănpopular

See also

Colors in Latin · colōrēs (layout · text)
     albus, candidus, cānus, marmoreus (poetic), eburneus (poetic), niveus (poetic), argenteus (poetic), lacteus (poetic)      rāvus, pullus, mūrīnus (of livestock)      niger, āter, furvus, fuscus ("swarthy"), piceus (poetic)
             ruber, russus, rūbidus (dark), flammeus (poetic); rutilus, pūniceus, spādīx (poetic), sanguineus (poetic)              rūfus, rutilus, rōbus (of oxen), croceus (poetic), aureus (poetic); fulvus (poetic), niger (of eyes), badius (of horses)              lūteus, flāvus ("blond"), lūridus, gilvus (of horses), helvus (of cattle); cēreus (poetic)
             viridis, flāvus (poetic)              viridis, herbeus (of eyes), fulvus (poetic)              viridis, glaucus (poetic), caeruleus (poetic, only dark)
                          glaucus (poetic), caeruleus, caesius (of eyes)              caeruleus, līvidus, ferrūgineus (poetic), glaucus (poetic)
             violāceus              purpureus (underlying shade)              roseus

Further reading

  • galbinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • galbinus”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.