albino
UK[ælˈbiːnəʊ]US[ælˈbaɪnoʊ]
n
A person or animal with a congenital absence of pigment in the skin and hair (which are white) and the eyes (which are typically pink).
n
A plant that lacks normal coloration, appearing white or pale.
Morpheme Breakdown
alb
ino
alb
white
ino
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'albino' entered English in the 18th century via Portuguese and Spanish, derived from the Latin root albus, meaning "white". This Latin term itself can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root h₂élbʰos, also signifying white and the source of words like 'album' (originally a blank white tablet) and 'albumen' (egg white). The Portuguese suffix -ino was appended to form albino, literally meaning "whitish one". The term was initially applied by Portuguese explorers to describe people with pale skin and hair in West Africa, and its meaning later specialized in biology to denote any organism lacking melanin pigment.
Analysis
Structure: alb (white) + ino (adjective suffix)
- alb: From Latin albus, meaning "white". This is the core root conveying the color.
- ino: A suffix of Portuguese/Spanish origin (from -ino), used to form adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to". In this word, it functions to create a noun meaning "one characterized by whiteness".
Examples
The white rabbit with pink eyes is a true albino.
Albinism, the condition affecting the albino individual, results from a genetic mutation.
Researchers discovered an albino seedling among the normally green plants.