Britain en · PROPN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Celticder. Ancient Greek Βρεττᾰνός (Brettănós) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek Βρεττανία (Brettanía)bor. Latin Britannia Anglo-Norman Britainebor. Middle English Britayne English Britain From Middle English Britayne, Breteyn, from Anglo-Norman Bretaigne, Bretaine, from Latin Brittannia, variant of Latin Britannia, from Britannī; reinforced by native Old English Breten, from the same Latin source. Ultimately from Proto-Brythonic *Prɨdėn (“Britain”) from *Pritanī (also compare *Prɨdɨn (“Picts”) from *Pritenī), attested to in Ancient Greek as Πρεττανική (Prettanikḗ), compare Welsh Prydain. Doublet of Britannia and Brittany. More at Britto.
Meanings
-
(broadly, countable, uncountable) The United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of Great Britain as well as Northern Ireland on the northeastern portion of the island of Ireland.
With the eclipse of Empire, and the emergence of America and Russia, it was inevitable that we would lose comparative power and influence—and to be sure we have been in relative economic decline since the middle of the nineteenth century (when we were still producing two thirds of the world's energy, and half its iron and cotton cloth and when per capita income in Britain was over twice that in Germany and one third greater than in France).
1979 March 31, Nicholas Henderson, Britain's Decline: Its Causes and Consequences:
- (countable, uncountable) Great Britain, a large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller islands) off the north-west coast of Western Europe, made up of England, Scotland, and Wales; especially (but not exclusively) during antiquity.
- (countable, uncountable) England, Scotland and Wales in combination.
- (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Brittany.
- (countable, in-plural, uncountable) The British Isles.
- (countable, historical, uncountable) The British state and its dominions and holdings; the British Empire.
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(countable, in-plural, uncountable) The British Empire.
The name of 'Britain' […] ought to answer every purpose, or if that be thought too condensed, it may be pluralized into ‘The Britains’.
1874 July 14, The Times:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britains | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Brittain | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
New Britain · Brexit · Great Britain · Little Britain
Descendants
Peletānia · Pelekāne · Peretānia
Relateds
Roman Britain · British · Brittany · proto-Britain · Broken Britain · Breton · Britannia · Briton · Britton · Battle of Britain
Synonyms
Gramarye (island)
Translations (84)
lo ບຣິເຕນໃຫຍ່ (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · yue 不列顛 /不列颠 (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ko 브리튼 (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · vi Anh (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · uk Брита́нія (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sq Britania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · km ប៊្រីតថេន (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · am ብሪታንያ (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · tk Britaniýa (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · kmr Brîtanya (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · fa-ira بِریتانِیا (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · cy Prydain (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · pl Brytania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mi Peretānia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mn Британи (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · tl Bretanya (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · te బ్రిటన్ (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · fa-ira بِرِطانِیِه (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · he בְּרִיטַנְיָה (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · is Bretland (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · hi ब्रिटेन (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · az Britaniya (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · la Britannia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mi Piritini (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · kk Британия (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · my ဘိလပ် (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sh Brìtānija (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · de Britannien (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · fo Bretland (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · el Βρετανία (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · my ဗြိတိန် (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · lo ບໍລິເຕນ (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · bn ব্রিটেন (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ko 브리텐 (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ru Брита́ния (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ka ბრიტანეთი (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · tg Британия (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sl Británija (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · si බ්රිතාන්ය (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ang Breten (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ro Britania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · uz Britaniya (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · hu Britannia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · lt Britanija (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · lv Britānija (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · nl Brittannië (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · hy Բրիտանիա (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ja ブリテン (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · cs Británie (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sk Británia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · scn Granni Britagna (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ar بِرِيطانِيَا (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sh Брѝта̄нија (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · hi बरतानिया (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mr ब्रिटन (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · grc Βρεττανία (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · bn বিলাত (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ps برتانيه (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · th บริเตน (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · fi Britannia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · vi đảo Anh (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · gd Breatainn (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · es Britania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · tr Britanya (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · cmn 不列顛 /不列颠 (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ps بريتانيا (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · rap Peretane (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ur بَرْطَانِیَہ (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ky Британия (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · pt Bretanha (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · tg Бритониё (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · scn Britagna Granni (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ms Britania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · eo Britio (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · id Britania (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mt Brittanja (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · be Брыта́нія (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · sco Breetain (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · mk Брита́нија (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ga an Bhreatain (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · et Britannia (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ug برىتانىيە (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · bg Брита́ния (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles) · ps برطانيه (island — see also Great Britain, British Isles)