Type Island
Usage English
Pronounced Pron. BRI-tən  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From Britannia, the Latin name for the island of Great Britain, the land of the Britons. It derives from the name of the Britons, recorded in Greek in the 4th century BC as Πρεττανική (Prettanike), and reconstructed as Proto-Brythonic *Pritanī, possibly meaning "tattooed people".

Related Names

VariantBrittany
Other Languages & CulturesBritannia(Ancient Roman) Breizh(Breton) Britaniya(Bulgarian) Britannien(Danish) Bretagne, Brittannië(Dutch) Bretagne(French) Bretagne, Britannien(German) Bretagna(Italian) Buriten(Japanese) Bretaigne(Medieval French) Britaniya(Russian) Bretaña(Spanish) Britannien(Swedish)

Categories

Entry updated January 21, 2022