Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
albian
English translation:
grained white
Added to glossary by
Almudena Grau
Jan 22, 2015 12:16
9 yrs ago
Spanish term
Spain
albian
Spanish to English
Other
Furniture / Household Appliances
Albian is a term used to describe a certain color, specifically for furniture (usually modern-ish pieces). It's whitish, but a sort of "worn" white, or with the natural color of a darker wood peering through from under. Here is a link with an example (albian and cherry in this case):
http://www.tifon.es/catalogo-muebles/salones/mueble-de-sal-n...
http://www.tifon.es/catalogo-muebles/salones/mueble-de-sal-n...
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +1 | grained white |
Charles Davis
|
| 4 +2 | chalk-white/chalky-white |
Yvonne Gallagher
|
| 1 +2 | Albion white |
neilmac
|
References
| re: grained white |
Rachel Fell
|
Proposed translations
+1
13 hrs
Selected
grained white
As far as I can see there is no reason to associate "albian" with "albion", as in white cliffs of Dover etc. As Neil was honest enough to admit, this association is pure guesswork. So I don't think there's any connection with chalk at all. Albian is actually the name of a geological period. The name is derived from the River Aube in France:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albian
Chalk(y) white is a very pure, very white white, but albian isn't; in fact the general impression is a bit greyish. When you look at pictures of furniture described as "albian" or "blanco albian", it's not a particular shade of white; what distinguishes it is that it's not an even colour but is textured, grainy.
This is true of the example you posted. It's a white with a faint darker wood grain pattern; as you said, it's as if the natural colour of darker wood were showing through.
Some examples large enough to see, starting with yours:
http://www.tifon.es/imagenes/mueble-de-sal-n-volta-672-id-92...
http://www.tifon.es/imagenes/mueble-para-sal-n-vento-id-669....
http://www.massimuebles.com/aparador-de-180-mts-color-nogal-...
http://www.buenosmuebles.es/5018-1242-thickbox/composicion-s...
http://www.muebleslafabrica.com/images/LAREDO APARADOR ALBIA...
The occasional reference to albian supports this idea:
"APARADOR COLOR ALBIAN (BLANCO BETEADO) COMBINADO CON CENIZA"
http://mueblesydecoraciononline.es/index.php?id_product=27&c...
Beteado is clearly veteado misspelled.
"Colores base: albian(blanco rayado), blanco, ceniza y nogal"
http://www.mahersolhogar.com/producto/1873/dormitorio-401/
"los cajones no son negros sino albian, es decir, tirando a gris"
http://decoracion.facilisimo.com/foros/decoracion/otras-esta...
I think we can call this "grained white":
"Modern executive furniture in a choice of Dark Oak, Natural Walnut or Grained White. Tops are 40mm thick to give a feeling of permanence and gravitas. Front modesty panels can match the desk or they can be specified in a contrasting grained white finish."
http://www.officereality.co.uk/cat/office-furniture-ranges/e...
"The Pembroke headboard is part of the Pembroke range of bedroom furniture, the headboard is is available in a rane of sizes and it is manufactured from mdf with a grained white finish"
http://www.thebedroomshop.co.uk/beds/headboards/pembroke_hea...
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Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2015-01-24 03:13:26 GMT)
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I have no idea why the name albian was chosen for this in Spanish. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the geological meaning of the term. I suppose someone just thought it sounded nice. Anyway, the term is apparently not used in the same way in English, so I think we have to find a translation that describes what it's like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albian
Chalk(y) white is a very pure, very white white, but albian isn't; in fact the general impression is a bit greyish. When you look at pictures of furniture described as "albian" or "blanco albian", it's not a particular shade of white; what distinguishes it is that it's not an even colour but is textured, grainy.
This is true of the example you posted. It's a white with a faint darker wood grain pattern; as you said, it's as if the natural colour of darker wood were showing through.
Some examples large enough to see, starting with yours:
http://www.tifon.es/imagenes/mueble-de-sal-n-volta-672-id-92...
http://www.tifon.es/imagenes/mueble-para-sal-n-vento-id-669....
http://www.massimuebles.com/aparador-de-180-mts-color-nogal-...
http://www.buenosmuebles.es/5018-1242-thickbox/composicion-s...
http://www.muebleslafabrica.com/images/LAREDO APARADOR ALBIA...
The occasional reference to albian supports this idea:
"APARADOR COLOR ALBIAN (BLANCO BETEADO) COMBINADO CON CENIZA"
http://mueblesydecoraciononline.es/index.php?id_product=27&c...
Beteado is clearly veteado misspelled.
"Colores base: albian(blanco rayado), blanco, ceniza y nogal"
http://www.mahersolhogar.com/producto/1873/dormitorio-401/
"los cajones no son negros sino albian, es decir, tirando a gris"
http://decoracion.facilisimo.com/foros/decoracion/otras-esta...
I think we can call this "grained white":
"Modern executive furniture in a choice of Dark Oak, Natural Walnut or Grained White. Tops are 40mm thick to give a feeling of permanence and gravitas. Front modesty panels can match the desk or they can be specified in a contrasting grained white finish."
http://www.officereality.co.uk/cat/office-furniture-ranges/e...
"The Pembroke headboard is part of the Pembroke range of bedroom furniture, the headboard is is available in a rane of sizes and it is manufactured from mdf with a grained white finish"
http://www.thebedroomshop.co.uk/beds/headboards/pembroke_hea...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2015-01-24 03:13:26 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I have no idea why the name albian was chosen for this in Spanish. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the geological meaning of the term. I suppose someone just thought it sounded nice. Anyway, the term is apparently not used in the same way in English, so I think we have to find a translation that describes what it's like.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you so much for your input. This was a tricky term that could be approached in a number of ways, but ultimately I wanted to use a term that was as simple and descriptive as possible."
+2
25 mins
Albion white
Total guesswork (i.e. making it up as I go along).
The name Albion has been translated as “white land”; and the Romans explained it as referring to the chalk cliffs at Dover (Latin albus, “white”).
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Note added at 26 mins (2015-01-22 12:43:15 GMT)
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With "Albian" as a variant. Google "albian white" and you should find stuff like this: "...seismic data with top Albian (white) and top salt..."
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Note added at 28 mins (2015-01-22 12:44:44 GMT)
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Apparently "Albian" means "mid-cretaceous"which doesn't sound quite so market-friendly...
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Note added at 29 mins (2015-01-22 12:45:59 GMT)
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http://www.houzz.com/photos/8612879/Albion-White-Drum-Shade-...
The name Albion has been translated as “white land”; and the Romans explained it as referring to the chalk cliffs at Dover (Latin albus, “white”).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 26 mins (2015-01-22 12:43:15 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
With "Albian" as a variant. Google "albian white" and you should find stuff like this: "...seismic data with top Albian (white) and top salt..."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 28 mins (2015-01-22 12:44:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Apparently "Albian" means "mid-cretaceous"which doesn't sound quite so market-friendly...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 29 mins (2015-01-22 12:45:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
http://www.houzz.com/photos/8612879/Albion-White-Drum-Shade-...
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much for your time, feedback and research! I really appreciate it. This was a tricky term. :) |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Lisa McCarthy
: I'd go for 'chalky/chalk white' though.
7 mins
|
|
Depends if you want the description or a trade name.
|
|
| agree |
Wendy Streitparth
: With Lisa. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2013/feb/22/...
32 mins
|
|
Am not about to throw myself off the cliffs if I don't get the points ;)
|
+2
3 hrs
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
Works in field
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
chalk-white/chalky-white
putting this as an answer, (don't know why Lisa didn't?) the colour name coming from the white chalk cliffs of Dover but I would think "Albion" is associated more with the UK/England/Britain (esp. in literary terms "Perfidious Albion") so we really wouldn't say "UK- white" would we? Anyway, only 19,400 ghits for "albion-white" with 422,000 for "chalk-white" so I know which one I'd use...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion
http://www.craigandrose.com/chalk-white
some people might say "milk-white" but it's not quite the same colour although the all-purpose "opaque-white" could be used
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Note added at 23 hrs (2015-01-23 12:14:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
OK so Geology called for? I went with Neil's translation as "albiOn" but if "albiAn" then it is Cretaceous period, an extremely long period of time and divided into sub periods with Albian mid period and when Gault and Greesand rocks were formed. These are dark-grey, blue-grey or green-grey in colour so really not likely to be called "white". picture here
http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/folkestone_fossils.htm
However, the chalks were laid down inthe High Cretaceous period following the Albian so quite possible albion and albian were confused.
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=GLT
http://palaeos.com/mesozoic/cretaceous/cretaceous.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion
http://www.craigandrose.com/chalk-white
some people might say "milk-white" but it's not quite the same colour although the all-purpose "opaque-white" could be used
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2015-01-23 12:14:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
OK so Geology called for? I went with Neil's translation as "albiOn" but if "albiAn" then it is Cretaceous period, an extremely long period of time and divided into sub periods with Albian mid period and when Gault and Greesand rocks were formed. These are dark-grey, blue-grey or green-grey in colour so really not likely to be called "white". picture here
http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/folkestone_fossils.htm
However, the chalks were laid down inthe High Cretaceous period following the Albian so quite possible albion and albian were confused.
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?pub=GLT
http://palaeos.com/mesozoic/cretaceous/cretaceous.htm
Note from asker:
| Thank you very much for your time, feedback and research! I really appreciate it. This was a tricky term. :) |
Reference comments
1 day 12 hrs
Rachel Fell
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Works in field
United Kingdom
Thorough, knowledgeable and resourceful
Native in: English (Variant: UK)
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, Italian to English, and 4 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Reference:
re: grained white
also sometimes"grained white"
Collins dico: vetear - to grain
vetear
v. tr. Pintar o señalar vetas semejantes a las del mármol o la madera.
Diccionario Manual de la Lengua Española Vox. © 2007 Larousse Editorial, S.L.
http://es.thefreedictionary.com/vetear
Collins dico: vetear - to grain
vetear
v. tr. Pintar o señalar vetas semejantes a las del mármol o la madera.
Diccionario Manual de la Lengua Española Vox. © 2007 Larousse Editorial, S.L.
http://es.thefreedictionary.com/vetear
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