Etymologically
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britannique

Etymology and origin of the French word britannique

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1512, Jean Lemaire de Belges
Borrowed from
Latin Britannicus
Ultimate origin
Latin (Britannia)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bʁi.ta.nik/[1]

Forms

britannique (plural britanniques)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin Britannicus (“of Britain”), from Britannia (“Britain”).[2][3][1] The same Latin name is the source of breton.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Jean Lemaire de Belges writes in 1512 of la tresnoble et tresillustre nation Françoise et Britannique.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Cotgrave records the word in 1611, and the GLLF dates it to the 17th century.[4][5] It came to describe what concerns Great Britain and Ireland (les îles Britanniques) or only the United Kingdom (l'Empire britannique); in loose use it is equivalent to anglais.[2][3] Qualities thought typical of the English gave phrases such as le flegme britannique and l'humour britannique.[6][5]

Derivatives and loans include britannisme (Verlaine, 1884) and the familiar british, from English.[2]

Timeline

  • 1512 – Jean Lemaire de Belges.[4][2]
  • 1611 – Recorded by Cotgrave.[4]
  • 1884 – Britannisme, in Verlaine.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. British: of Great Britain, the United Kingdom or the British Isles: les îles Britanniques, l'Empire britannique.[6][3]
  2. Showing qualities thought typical of the British: le flegme britannique.[5][6]

Noun

  1. Un, une Britannique: a Briton.[6][1]
  • breton
  • Bretagne
  • Latin Britannia

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  5. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  6. ^ a b c d Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Britannique.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/britannique. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·