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Britain

name
/ˈbɹɪt.ən/UK/ˈbɹɪt.ən/US

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek Βρεττανός (Brettanós) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā) 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.

  1. derived from *Prɨdėn✻ — “Britain”
  2. derived from Britannia
  3. derived from Brittannia
  4. derived from Bretaigne
  5. inherited from Britayne

Definitions

  1. The United Kingdom, a kingdom and country in Northern Europe including the island of…

    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.

    • There’s a move in the islands to secede from Britain and join Norway or even Denmark — an Orkxit to follow Brexit.

  2. Great Britain, a large island (sometimes also including some of the surrounding smaller…

    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.

  3. England, Scotland and Wales in combination.

  4. ›+ 6 more definitions

    1. Brittany.

    2. The British Isles.

    3. The British state and its dominions and holdings

      The British state and its dominions and holdings; the British Empire.

    4. 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’.

    5. An ancient Briton.

      • The Britains’ struggles with the Scots and Picts [...] led to the Britains asking the Romans for help in constructing a great wall.

    6. Briton

      Briton; British.

      • [M]ightie Albion, father of the bold / And warlike people which the Britaine Iſlands hold.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at Britain. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01britain02well03competently04competent05authority06law07regulations08regulation09administrative10administration

A definitional loop anchored at britain. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at britain

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA