Britain

Britain · proper noun¹

1. Ancient GreekΒρεττᾰνός (Brettănós)
2. Ancient GreekΒρεττανία (Brettanía)
3. LatinBritannia
4. Anglo-NormanBritaine
5. Middle EnglishBritayne
6. English todayBritain

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.

Britain · noun, adjective²

1. Latin · derived fromBritannus
2. Middle English · inherited frombrytayn
3. English todayBritain

From Middle English brytayn, from Latin Britannus (adjective and noun, plural Britannī), apparently from Brythonic (compare Old Welsh Priten).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 10th c. 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.
• from 13th c. Brittany.
• from 17th c. The British state and its dominions and holdings; the British Empire.
• from 19th c. The British Empire.
• from 15th c. An ancient Briton.
• 16th–18th c. Briton; British.