LL-L "Etymology" 2008.04.13 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  - 13 April 2008 - Volume 06
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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Etymology"

Beste John,

You wrote:

Other words for radiance or qualities of light such as *blink, glimmer,
glisten, glow, shimmer, shine, sparkle, twinkle, dim*, and *flash. *Perhaps
also: *morn/morwen/morgen *and *dusk*.

The morn/morwen/morgen-concept does connect with the *albho-root, but as far
as I know, not through Germanic.
French however, has "aube": dawn, where aube < albus (Latin for "white"),
refers to the first sunlight at dawn. Other cognates are English "elf",
Southern Dutch "alvermanneke" and Flemish surname "Van den Abeele" (~ white
poplar tree).

One of the most notorious people, ever ruling the Lowlands, also carried
"albus" in his last name, Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd
Duke of Alba, aka "the Iron Duke" (> dukdalf (D), mooring post, well-known
in the Netherlands and Northern Germany).  The guy was one of the most
fearful governors we ever knew around here; he was the driving force behind
the "Council of Blood", a 16th century tribunal that sought to exterminate
everybody opposed to Roman Catholic belief. Related to this is the so called
"Black Legend":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Legend
(~ John Foxe and his Book of Martyrs)

In order to balance this message a little, let me finish with another term,
related to "albus" as well: "La perfida Albion", a derogatory term for the
UK in France and Spain. A Spanish blogger sums up ten reasons for this
alleged perfidy:

http://1973themackintoshman.spaces.live.com/

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx
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