briga

Forms

briga f (genitive brigae); first declension^[1][2]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian briga (“quarrel, trouble”),^[3][1][2] although Köbler marks the Italian origin with a question mark.^[4] Etymonline traces the Italian word, which also gave brigata (“troop, band”) and through French English brigade, perhaps to a Celtic word for power.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The MLW's earliest example is an imperial charter of 1159, in which an archdeacon and a provost promise never to raise a suit, a dispute or any briga.^[1]

Semantic evolution

It was a word of Italian charters and of the medieval Latin of Italy and neighbouring lands, meaning a quarrel, dispute or brawl.^[3][1][6] Hungarian charters use it of disputes over boundaries and of discord,^[2] Polish records also of fighting and war,^[7] and Du Cange has it for trouble or effort.^[6]

Timeline

• 1159 – A charter of the emperor's acts uses it of a dispute.^[1]
• 1247 – A Hungarian charter (surviving in a copy of 1572) speaks of quarrels with neighbours over boundary marks.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. (Medieval Latin) A quarrel, dispute, brawl.^[3][1][2]
2. (Medieval Latin) A fight; war.^[7]
3. (Medieval Latin) Trouble, effort, difficulty.^[6]

Usage notes

In British sources briga is also a form of brida “bridle”.^[8][4] Du Cange records a separate Celtic word briga “bridge” in place names.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
2. ^ a b c d e Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
3. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
4. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b c d du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
7. ^ a b Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press