English

Proper noun

Britannia

1. a female personification of Britain
   • 1740, James Thomson (lyrics), Thomas Arne (music), Rule, Britannia!

     Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves / Britons never, never shall be slaves

2. A settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador

Derived terms

• Britannia metal
• Britannia silver
• Cool Britannia

See also

• John Bull

Finnish

Proper noun

Britannia

1. (ambiguously) United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain (used to refer to the state of United Kingdom or its largest island consisting of England, Scotland and Wales)
2. Britain (Roman province)
3. Britannia (female personification of Britain)

Declension

Latin

Etymology

As Brittānia from the 1st century BC, from Ancient Greek Πρεττανία ‎(Prettanía), used by Diodorus, earlier νῆσος ‎(nêsos) Πρεττανική ‎(Prettanikḗ) or Βρεττανίαι ‎(Brettaníai), used by Pytheas (4th century BC) of the entire archipelago now known as the British Isles.

The Ancient Greek name is ultimately from a Celtic ethnonym, reconstructed as early British Celtic *Pritani, perhaps from a Proto-Celtic *Kʷritanī, *Kʷritenī, whence Welsh Prydyn ‎(“Picts”), Old Irish Cruthne, Cru(i)then-túath ‎(“Picts”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷer- ‎(“to do”).

Alternative forms

• Britania
• Brittānia
• Brittannia

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /bri.ˈtan.ni.a/

Proper noun

Britannia f ‎(genitive Britanniae); first declension

1. Britain, ie. the country of the Britons

Inflection

First declension, with locative.

Derived terms

• Britannia Minor ‎(“Brittany”)

Related terms

• britannicus
• britannus
• Britannus, genitive singular and nominative plural Britannī
• Brītō / Brittō

Descendants

• Catalan: Bretanya
• Dutch: Brittannië
• English: Britannia, Britain, Brittany
  • →Japanese: ブリテン ‎(Buriten)
  • →Korean: 브리튼 (Beuriteun)
  • →Mandarin: 不列顛 ‎(Bùlièdiān)
• German: Britannien
• Italian: Bretagna
• Old French: Bretaigne
  • French: Bretagne
    • →Japanese: ブルターニュ ‎(Burutānyu)
• Old Portuguese: Bretanna
  • Portuguese: Bretanha, Britânia
• Spanish: Bretaña