More linguistics geekery

Does anyone find it amusing that after the USAns went to such great lengths to invade Afghanistan and destroy the Taleban, and then invade Iraq, they've ended up with a Talabani as the president of Iraq?

Hmmm... I wonder what the name means. <considers Hebrew cognates> Something to do with white...? <googles> Nope; Islamic student or seeker after knowledge, apparently. The Net of a Thousand Lies claims that the word is Turkic, not Arabic; but it also claims it's Persian. Hmmm... which of these three language families might be its original one? It certainly looks Semitic.

<consults Hebrew dictionary> Ah, as well as meaning "whiten, bleach, heat to whiteness (iron), and cleanse"^*, the root לבן [LBN] has meanings "clarify, elucidate."

So now you know.

* Not to mention derived words with meanings such as linen, lingerie, yoghurt, moon, Lebanon^†), snowbell, cabbage butterfly and brick. Hmm, spot the odd one out?

† Originally referring not to the Lebanon mountain range, but to Mt Hermon, which is white.