Obs. Forms: 6 Brytane, -aine, Brittayne, 6–7 Britaine, 7 Brittan, Brittain(e, 6–8 Britan, Britain. [ad. L. Brit(t)ann-us, Brittān-us, Briton, British. (The L. Brit(t)ānni or Brittani appears to correspond to the Gr. Βρεττανοί, and was perh. adopted from the Greeks of Massilia. The nearest Celtic form is the Irish pl. Bretain, genitive Bretan, Brettan, which may repr. an OCeltic Bret(t)an-i pl., distinct from Britton-es, whence BRITON, q.v.)]
A. sb. 1. A Briton (i.e., an ancient Briton).
1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, C iv b. Yet wil I not affirme that Scottes be mere Britaynes, or Englishe men mere Britaynes.
1570. Levins, Manip., 19. A Brytane, Britanus. Ibid., 200. Brittayne.
1579. Fulke, Confut. Sanders, 561. As Ninnius a Britaine doeth testifie.
1605. Camden, Rem. (1637), 9. The Britaines…. The Britains, the most ancient people of this Isle anciently inhabited the same from sea to sea. Ibid., 40. The Brittans. Ibid., 54. The Britans.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. iv. 28. Heere comes the Britaine.
1702. Echard, Eccl. Hist. (1710), 549. The northern Britains and Caledonians.
2. A native of Bretagne in France; a Breton.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., V. (ed. 7), 567. Called new France, because the Brittans which are Frenchmen did first discover it.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Invent. Shipping, 9. The French Brittains who were then esteemed the best Brittaine Sea men.
B. adj. 1. Ancient British.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 48/1. Joseph of Arimathea … among the Britaine people.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 167. There bee moreover Brytaine bricks, in the walles of the Church.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 87. The Britan ocean.
1641. Milton, Prel. Episc., 18. Our Brittaine Bishops … were remarkable for nothing more then their poverty.
2. British, in the modern political sense. Britain Crown, a gold coin struck by James I., orig. valued at 5s., afterwards at 5s. 6d. (Cf. BRITISH CROWN.)
1609. Bible (Douay), Pref. To teach and feede al Britan people.
c. 1620. A. Hume (title), Of the Orthographie of the Britan Tongue.
1866. Crump, Banking, x. 224. James I. … Gold [Coins] Rose-royal … quarter-sovereign, Britain-crown.
3. Of French Bretagne; Breton.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. 390. The Britan … is a dialect of the Welsh.
