W.\u00a0Prydain<\/em>, C.\u00a0Breten<\/em>, B.\u00a0Breizh-(Veur)<\/em>, I.\u00a0An Bhreatain<\/em>, G.\u00a0Breatainn<\/em>, M.\u00a0Yn Vretyn<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Britain or Great Britain is the name of the largest island of the British Isles, though it has become largely synonymous with the United Kingdom. The name derives from an original PC.\u00a0*Kw<\/sup>ritannj\u0101<\/em>, which is a derivative of a stem meaning ‘shape, form’ (W.\u00a0pryd<\/em>\u00a0‘aspect, image; shape, form’, OI.\u00a0cruth<\/em>\u00a0‘shape, form’,\u00a0creth<\/em>\u00a0‘poetry’). The ancient PC. form is reflected by W.\u00a0Prydain<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The early Brittonic name was borrowed into Greek as Prettanik\u0113<\/em> n\u0113sos<\/em>\u00a0‘British Isles’ and Prettanoi <\/em>‘Britons’ but was altered in classical mouths to Brettanik\u0113<\/em>, hence Latin Brittania <\/em>and the ethnonym Brittones <\/em>‘Britons’. During the Romanisation of Britain it was these Latin forms that became established, the latter giving rise to WC\u00a0Brython\u00a0<\/em>‘Britons’, B.\u00a0Brezhoneg\u00a0<\/em>‘Breton’ and OI Bretain <\/em>‘Britons, Britain’, from which the modern Gaelic forms derive. Cornish Breten <\/em>is probably a borrowing of ME Britain<\/em>, a merger of French Bretagne <\/em>and OE Breten<\/em>, though it may have been borrowed directly from the latter. B.\u00a0Breizh\u00a0<\/em>‘Brittany, Britain’ is from Br.\u00a0*Brittj\u0101<\/em>, a derivative of\u00a0*Britt\u016b\u00a0<\/em>‘Briton’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same PC. root\u00a0*kw<\/sup>rit-\u00a0<\/em>occurs in the Welsh and Old Irish names for the Picts – W.\u00a0Prydyn,\u00a0<\/em>OI.\u00a0Cruithne, Cruithnech<\/em>\u00a0– which suggests that the Latin name\u00a0Picti\u00a0<\/em>‘painted’ was a direct attempt at translation from Celtic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the name Albion, see ‘Scotland’ below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n W. Llydaw<\/em>, C. Breten-Vian<\/em>, B. Breizh<\/em>, I. An Bhriot\u00e1in<\/em>, G. A’ Bhreatainn Bheag<\/em>, M. Yn Vritaan<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though not part of the British Isles, Brittany shares a name and a history with Britain so deserves a place here. The English, Irish and Manx words are all borrowed from OF. Bretaigne <\/em>< L. Britannia<\/em> ‘Britain’, which name was imported to Brittany along with the British language in the migration period c.<\/em>450-c.<\/em>600. Prior to this, that part of Gaul had been called Armorica, from PC. *Arimorik\u0101<\/em> meaning ‘place facing the sea’ (B. arvor <\/em>‘coast’). Cornish and Scots Gaelic both use phrases meaning ‘Little Britain’, based on the L. Britannia Minor <\/em>(see Wales below). <\/em>The Breton name Breizh<\/em>, ultimately from the same Celtic source as the Latin, is explained above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n W. Llydaw<\/em> is an isolated word in the modern Celtic languages, but has equivalents in MI. Letha<\/em> and OB. Letau<\/em>. All are from PC. *Litawj\u0101 <\/em>meaning ‘broad one’, which is cognate with W. llydan <\/em>‘wide’ etc. It is thought the word originally meant ‘broad land, continent’ and hence came to refer to that part of the continent opposite Britain, then finally to that part inhabited by Britons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n W. Cernyw<\/em>, C. Kernow<\/em>, B. Kernev<\/em>, I. Corn na Breataine<\/em>, G. A’ Ch\u00f2rn<\/em>, M. Yn Chorn<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The name is from PC. *Kornowj\u0101<\/em>, from the PC. stem *korn- <\/em>‘horn’ (W. corn <\/em>CB. korn<\/em>, G. c\u00f2rn<\/em>), which can be seen in the modern Gaelic forms. There is evidence from Welsh that this name originally applied to the whole arm of south-western Britian from Somerset to modern Cornwall but it was eventually restricted to its modern sense. The word was borrowed into OE. and the word w\u0113alas <\/em>‘foreigners, Welsh, Britons’ was added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Iron Age and into the early Medieval period the area was inhabited by the Dumnonii (< PC. *dumno- <\/em>‘deep; world’), who gave their name to Devon (W. Dyfnaint<\/em>, C. Dewnens<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n W. Lloegr<\/em>, C. Pow Sows<\/em>, B. Bro-Saoz<\/em>, I. Sasana<\/em>, G. Sasainn<\/em>, M. Sostyn<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The English name is from OE. Englaland <\/em>‘land of the Angles’, which won out against the equivalent Seaxland <\/em>‘land of the Saxons’ as a term for the nation as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBrittany<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cornwall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
England<\/h2>\n\n\n\n