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Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name () for Scotland. It is cognate to ''Alba'' (gen. ''Alban'', dat. ''Albain'') in Irish and ''Nalbin'' in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish (''Alban'') and Welsh (''Yr Alban'') that also, in modern practice, are the Goidelic and Brythonic names for Scotland; although in the past they were names for Britain as a whole related to the Brythonic name Albion. == Etymology == The term first appears in classical texts as Ἀλβίων ''Albíon'' or Ἀλουΐων ''Alouíon'' (in Ptolemy's writings in Greek), later as ''Albion'' in Latin documents. Historically, the term refers to Britain as a whole and is ultimately based on the Indo-European root for "white".〔MacBain, A ''An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language'' Gairm 1896, reprinted 1982 ISBN 0-901771-68-6〕 It later came to be used by Gaelic speakers in the form of ''Alba'' (dative ''Albainn'', genitive ''Albann'', now obsolete) as the name given to the former kingdom of the Picts which had by the time of its first usage with this meaning, expanded around the time of king Causantín mac Áeda (Constantine II, 943-952). The region Breadalbane (''Bràghad Albann'', the upper part of "Alba") takes its name from it as well. As time passed that kingdom incorporated others to the southern territories. It became re-Latinized in the High Medieval period as "Albania" (it is unclear whether it may ultimately share the same etymon as the modern Albania). This latter word was employed mainly by Celto-Latin writers, and most famously by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It was this word which passed into Middle English as Albany, although very rarely was this used for the Kingdom of Scotland, but rather for the notional Duchy of Albany. It is from the latter that Albany, the capital of the US state of New York, takes its name. It also appears in the anglicised literary form of ''Albyn'', as in Byron's ''Childe Harold: :''And wild and high the 'Cameron's gathering' rose,'' ::''The war-note of Lochiel, which Albyn's hills'' :''Have heard, and heard, too, have her Saxon foes'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Alba」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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