britain

a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles

divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland

`Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom

''This article deals with the '''history of the word ''Britain'''''. For clarification of terminology and an overview of articles about Britain and Ireland see British Isles (terminology)''.The word Britain is used to refer to

the island of Great Britain which consists of the nations of England, Scotland and Wales.

the United Kingdom (U.K.)

sometimes the Roman BritainRoman province called "Britain" or "Britannia" The word British generally means belonging to or associated with Britain in one of the first two senses above (i.e. the United Kingdom or the island of Great Britain). However, the term has a range of related usages, as described in this article.Etymologically, these words are closely related to ''Brittany'', the name of the western French peninsula, and its adjective ''Breton''.

Earliest attested references -

''Pretaniké; Pretanikai nesoi'' (Pretanic isles) - 325 BC

''Britannia'' - 55 BC (Julius Caesar, Roman invasion of Britain)

''Breten'' - 855 (''Old English Chronicle'', introduction)

''Brittisc'' - 855 (Oxford English DictionaryOED)

''Grate Briteigne'' - 1548 (Oxford English DictionaryOED)

''British isles'' - 1550 (in Latin; map of Sebastian Munster cited in British Isles article)

Etymology - The etymology of the name ''Britain'' is thought to derive from a Celtic languagesCeltic word, ''Pritani'', "painted", a reference to the inhabitants of the islands' use of body-paint and tattoos. If this is true, there is an interesting parallel with the name ''Pict'', connected with a Latin word of the same meaning. The modern Welsh languageWelsh name for Britain is ''Prydain''.It has also been postulated that ''Britain'' may derive from the Celtic goddess Brigid.In 325 BC the GreeceGreek explorer Pytheas Pytheas of Massalia visited a group of islands which he called ''Pretaniké'', the principal ones being Albionon (Albion) and Ierne (Erin). The records of this visit date from much more recent times, so there is room for these details to be disputed, but it does seem to attest pre-Roman use of the name by Celtic-speaking inhabitants of the islands.The Roman geographer Ptolemy called the larger island Megale Brettania (Great Britain), and the smaller island Micra Bretannia (Little Britain). Hence, originally, the term Great Britain referred to the largest island in the British Isles, just as the largest of the Canary Islands is still called Gran Canaria, and the largest of the Comoros is Grande Comore.

Britain and Brittany - The original reference seems to have been to the territory in which the Brythonic languages were spoken, which more or less coincided with the Roman province of Britannia, an area equivalent to modern England, Wales and southern Scotland. In the Early Middle Ages speakers of a Brythonic language which later evolved into BrittanyBreton migrated from Cornwall to Armorica, Western France, possibly because of pressure from Saxon invasions. This is why different forms of the same name apply to insular Britain and continental Brittany. In French languageFrench the similarity is even more obvious: ''Bretagne'' and ''Grande Bretagne''. Geoffrey of Monmouth used the names ''Britannia minor'' to refer to the Armorican region and ''Britannia major'' for the island. The element ''great'' in the term ''Great Britain'' thus simply means large, to make the distinction from Brittany.

Historical evolution of the term ''Britain'' - The kingdoms established on the island of Great Britain were perceived to be dominant over the whole archipelago, which thus came to be known as the ''British Isles''. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the queen's astrologer and alchemist, John Dee, wrote mystical volumes predicting a British Empire and using the terms ''Great Britain'' and ''Britannia''. After Elizabeth's death in 1603 the kingdoms shared one King, James I of EnglandJames VI of Scotland and I of England. On 20 October 1604 he proclaimed himself "King of Great Brittaine" (thus including Wales and also avoiding the cumbersome title "King of England and Scotland"). This title was eventually adopted formally in 1707 when the ''Kingdom of Great Britain'' was formed. Politically, then, British has been used to described someone or something from the United Kingdom, in its various forms, since 1707. Briton or Brit are also used colloquially in this form, though the use of Briton here is incorrect.Since its formation, the kingdom was enlarged in 1801 by the addition of the island of Ireland - already ruled by the British monarchy - to become the ''United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland'', and was then reduced in 1922 by the independence of the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland. The name of the kingdom changed accordingly, in 1927 becoming ''United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''. British was also used to describe members of nations that formed part of the British Empire. This use now, however, could be seen as justifying the colonialismcolonial era, even if only applied historically.

Modern use of the term 'British' - Modern use of the term 'British' is common in references to someone or something from the United Kingdom.It is also frequently used to describe residents of the United Kingdom's British Overseas Territorycurrent colonies. This may still offend some people, though since the British Overseas Territories Act 2002 all residents of the United Kingdom's remaining colonies have been eligible for British citizenship, making the term more apt. British also occurs in the legal term British Islands . This was coined to describe all of the islands of the British Isles, exlcuding those that form part of the Republic of Ireland, when they act together as a political whole.geographyGeographically, the term can be used in various ways:

To describe someone from the island of Great Britain

In the term British Isles, the traditional term for the entire archipelago of islands that lie off the north west coast of France, of which Great Britain and Ireland are the two biggest. Note that this is not intended to imply that all of these islands are part of the United Kingdom, for many of them are part of the Republic of Ireland. However, confusion caused by this term can lead to offense.

The term has historically been used to describe someone or something from the British Isles. Due to the above mentioned potential for offense, this rarely happens. For example the British Lions a rugby team which draws players from the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland has been renamed to the British and Irish Lions.

Sometimes ''British'' applies to an area or territory currently or formerly governed by or a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, for example the British Virgin Islands, the British Indian Ocean Territory, or British Columbia which is now a province of Canada.

Brutus of Troy - In keeping with the mediaeval penchant for etymologising country names in terms of eponomous heroes, English historians of the late mediaeval and early modern periods charted the history of the nation from Brutus of Troy, supposedly a hero of the Trojan war who founded Britain just as Aeneaus' descendant Romulus founded Rome, Frankus France, and so forth. The life of Brutus, anglicised as Brute, was recorded in the literary tradition of the Prose Brute. This was long accepted as the etymology of ''Britain''.

See also -

List of country name etymologies

List of United Kingdom topics

British Isles

United Kingdom

Great Britain

Kingdom of Great Britain

Constitutional status of Cornwall The Cornish question

Acts of Union 1536-1543 merging the Kingdom of England and the Principality of Wales

Act of Union 1707 merging Scotland and England to form Great Britain

History of Britain

History of England

History of Scotland

History of Wales

British Kings

List of British monarchs

Sources and

1 TAXI HIRE BIRMINGHAM UK
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http://www.taxiairport.com

Iron Horses MC International
The webpage of Iron Horses MC - International Bikers Association
http://www.iron-horses-mc.org/

21st Century Travel (U.K) Ltd
Europes largest online travel and tour operator. Coach and rail sightseeing tours of Britain and Europe departing from London, Edinburgh and Dublin. Helicopter flights, boat cruise, eurostar, private tours, airport transfers, hotel reservations, theatre breaks and much more.
http://www.bestvalueyours.,co.uk

Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East became world famous in the fifties and sixties as the home of the Theatre Workshop company under the direction of Joan Littlewood. Her productions of new shows such as A Taste of Honey, The Hostage and Oh, What a Lovely War brought a much-needed robust spirit to British drama. This tradition of adventurous and occasionally controversial work was maintained at Stratford East throughout the eighties.
http://www.stratfordeast.com/

Chris's Science Page
Chris Butterworth's Science Page
http://www.chrisbutterworth.com/science/index.htm

History of circumcision
Site maintained by Australian medical historian Dr Robert Darby on the history of male and female circumcision. It contains both original documents and commentary on both ritual circumcision and medically rationalised circumcision in English speaking countries.
http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/

Cottage in Strahan Skerray
Strathan is a small glen which leads down to an interesting beach with good rock pools, some sand and some smooth boulders. The stream can be dammed, providing endless hours of fun for children of all ages. The cottage was built in 2001 and has all mod cons. The area is of 'Outstanding natural beauty'. Few people live along this north coast. Compared to the west coast there are few tourists, less rain on average and less midgies. The house is high on one side of the glen and is within sight of the sea. Sleeps 6.[3 bedrooms and 2 bath rooms]. Wheelchair friendly.
http://www.strathan.org/

VEGA - Vegetarian Economy and Green Agriculture
VEGA campaigns on food, health, nutrition, agriculture and the environment.
http://www.vegaresearch.org/

AIRPORT TAXIS BIRMINGHAM UK
taxi,birmingham,airport,taxis,bull ring Birmingham,BIRMINGHAM,AIRPORT,TOURS,CABTOURS,transfers,courier service,meet and greet,bhx,nec visitors,airport,to,anywhere,business,executive,chauffeur,medieval,britain,history,historical,avenues,Midlands,touring,operator,blackcab,taxitours,united,kingdom,national,Shakespeare,cotswolds,Warwickshire,GB,hackney,taxi,England,car,connections,driver,specialist,exhibitor,hotel,travel,tourists,holiday,visitor,London,sightseeing
http://www.cabtours.org

The Official Prince William Lookalike Matthew Turpin
Matthew Turpin - The officially acknowledged Lookalike of HRH Prince William.
http://www.princewilliamonline.com

The British Tourist Authority
Official site of the Authority and its local Tourist Boards.
http://www.visitbritain.com/

Castles of Britain
US-based Castles Unlimited offers a commercial research service. Lists of castles; photo gallery; ground plans and bird's-eye views of a few castles; general background articles; glossary.
http://www.castles-of-britain.com/

Information Britain
Plan a trip on-line to the British Isles; hotels and attractions.
http://www.information-britain.co.uk/

About Britain
Detailed information on British towns and attractions with colour photographs; latest news and special events; discount hotel booking with live availability.
http://www.aboutbritain.com/