Historically, the Britons (sometimes Brythons or British) were the indigenous peoples inhabiting the island of Britain who can be described as (Insular) Celts, before their language and culture was largely replaced by invading Anglo-Saxons. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The term Insular Celtic refers to those Celtic languages which originated in the British Isles, in contrast to the Continental Celtic languages of Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south They were speakers of the Brythonic languages and shared common cultural traditions. The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic In terms of language and culture, much of north western Europe was mainly Celtic during this period, although the island of Britain and Brittany were inhabited by Brythonic Celts. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into The inhabitants of Ireland, the Isle of Man and Dál Riata were Gaels or Gaelic Celts who spoke Goidelic languages. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical Dál Riata (also Dalriada or Dalriata) was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland with some territory on the northern The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect

A number of scholars argue that the unknown Pictish language was Brythonic, but in Sub-Roman Britain the Picts were distinguished as a separate group, as were the Gaels of Dál Riata. Pictish is a term used for the Extinct language or languages thought to have been spoken by the Picts, the people of northern and central Scotland Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an Archaeologists ' label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. Therefore, the term "Briton" or "Brython" traditionally refers to the inhabitants of ancient Britain excluding the Picts, because many Pictish cultural traits (for example their sculpture, pottery and monuments) differ from those of the Britons. Pottery is the Ceramic ware made by potters It also refers to a group of materials that includes Earthenware, Stoneware A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past

Etymology

Main article: Britain (name)

Further information: Priteni and Brittia

The earliest known reference to the Britons comes from Pytheas, a Greek geographer who made a voyage of exploration to northwestern Europe between 330-320 BC. The name Britain is derived from the Latin name Britannia (earlier Brittannia) via Old French Bretaigne (whence also Brittia (grc Βριττία according to Procopius ( 420 written in the 540s) was an Island in the mythological worldview of the inhabitants Dates Pliny says that Timaeus (born about 350 BC believed Pytheas' story of the discovery of Amber. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Although none of his own writings remain, writers during the time of the Roman Empire made much reference to them. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Pytheas called the Britons the Pritani or Pretani,^[1][2] and referred to the islands as the Pritanic or Pretanic islands. The term may have reached Pytheas from the Gauls, who may have used it as their term for the inhabitants of the islands. Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western ^[2][3]

Ultimately, the term Briton is from Celtic *Britto, plural *Britton-es, whence the Welsh collective Brython. The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic The Latin name in the early Roman Empire period was Britanni or Brittanni, following the Roman conquest in 43 BC replaced by Britto, Brittones directly loaned from the native British language. British was an ancient Celtic language spoken in much of southern and central Britain up to the central lowlands of Scotland and in Ireland. The single -t- in modern Briton is from an erroneous Latin form Brito, Britones in medieval manuscript tradition; French Breton derives from the more correct Latin form with double -tt-. ^[4]

In current usage, Briton is mostly used synonymously with British, the contemporary ethno-linguistic group. British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Welsh Brython was introduced into English usage by John Rhys in 1884 as a term unambiguously referring to the P-Celtic speakers of Great Britain, as complementing Goidel; hence the adjective Brythonic referring to the group of languages. Sir John Rhys (also spelled Rhŷs; 21 June 1840 &ndash 17 December 1915) was a Welsh scholar Fellow of the The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being ^[5] Brittonic is a more recent coinage (first attested 1923 according to OED) intended to refer to the ancient Britons specifically. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English

Language

Main article: Brythonic languages

The Britons were speakers of the Brythonic (or Brittonic) languages, a branch of the Insular Celtic languages. The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages or British languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family the other being The term Insular Celtic refers to those Celtic languages which originated in the British Isles, in contrast to the Continental Celtic languages of The other branch of Insular Celtic that co-existed with Brythonic was the Goidelic (or Gaelic) languages. The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect The Brythonic languages are believed to have been spoken on the entire island of Britain as far north as the Clyde-Forth. The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer Firth in The Firth of Forth ( Scottish Gaelic: Linne Foirthe) is the Estuary or Firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows Beyond this was the territory of the Picts and Gaels. The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century However, Britons later migrated to Brittany and the Brythonic Breton language developed there. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany

The Brythonic languages are believed to have developed from Proto-Celtic, after it was introduced to the British Isles from the continent. Phonological reconstruction Consonants The phonological changes from Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Celtic Consonants may be summarised as follows The first form of the Brythonic languages is believed to be British. British was an ancient Celtic language spoken in much of southern and central Britain up to the central lowlands of Scotland and in Ireland. After the Roman conquest of Britain, the British language adopted some words from Latin; hence it is sometimes termed Romano-British in this period. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years

The British language then branched into three dialects: Eastern, Western and Southwestern. Eastern Brythonic was the dialect of the British Celtic language spoken in most of England. Western Brythonic was the Dialect of British Celtic spoken in north-west England, Wales and the Welsh marches The Eastern dialect was largely replaced by the invading Anglo-Saxons and their language. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south The Western and Southwestern developed into Cumbric, Welsh, Cornish and Breton. Cumbric was the Brythonic Celtic language, often considered to be a Dialect of Welsh, spoken in Northern England and southern Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic For the Cornish-English dialect see West Country dialects and List of Cornish dialect words. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany Only Welsh, Cornish and Breton survive today.

Territory

Main articles: British Iron Age, Roman Britain, and Sub-Roman Britain

The British Isles during the Anglo-Saxon conquest around 500AD. In Britain and Ireland the Iron Age lasted from about the 7th century BC until the Roman conquest and until the 5th century in non- Romanised Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an Archaeologists ' label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. Brythonic kingdoms are labelled in black, Germanic kingdoms in red, Pictish kingdoms in brown, and Gaelic kingdoms in blue. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century

Throughout their existence, the territory inhabited by the Britons was composed of numerous ever-changing areas controlled by tribes. The extent of their territory before and during the Roman period is unclear, but is generally believed to include the whole of the island of Great Britain, as far north as the Clyde-Forth isthmus. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer Firth in The Firth of Forth ( Scottish Gaelic: Linne Foirthe) is the Estuary or Firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas The territory north of this was largely inhabited by the Picts, although a portion of it was eventually absorbed into the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata. The Picts were a Confederation of tribes in what was later to become eastern and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century Dál Riata (also Dalriada or Dalriata) was a Gaelic overkingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland with some territory on the northern The Isle of Man was originally inhabited by Britons also, but eventually it became Gaelic territory. The Isle of Man (Ellan Vannin ˈɛlʲən ˈvanɪn or Mann (Mannin) is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical Meanwhile, Ireland is generally believed to have been entirely Gaelic throughout this period. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world

In 43 AD the Roman Empire invaded Britain. This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. The Brythonic tribes continually opposed the Roman legions, but by 84 CE the Romans had conquered as far north as the Clyde-Forth isthmus, where they built the Antonine Wall. The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf Fortification, built by the Romans across what is now the Central belt of Scotland However, after just twenty years they retreated south to Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall ( Latin: perhaps Vallum Aelium, "the Aelian wall" is a stone and turf Fortification built by the Roman Although the native Britons mostly kept their land, they were subject to the Roman governers. This is a partial list of Governors of Roman Britain. As Britannia, Roman Britain was a consular province which means its governors need to be appointed consul by The Roman Empire retained control of "Britannia" until its departure about 400 AD.

Around the time of the Roman departure, the Germanic Anglo-Saxons began large-scale migrations to the east coast of Britain, where they set up kingdoms. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south Eventually, Brythonic language and culture in these areas was largely replaced by those of the Anglo-Saxons. At the same time, some Brythonic tribes migrated across the channel to what is now called Brittany. Brittany (Breizh bʁejs Bretagne; Gallo: Bertaèyn) is a former independent Celtic kingdom and Duchy, now incorporated into There they set up their own small kingdoms and the Brythonic Breton language developed. The Breton language ( Brezhoneg) formerly often called Armoric or Armorican, is a Celtic language spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany By the end of the 1st millennium AD, the Anglo-Saxons had conquered most of the Brythonic territory in Britain, and the language and culture of the native Britons had largely been extinguished. The first millennium is a period of time that commenced on January 1, 1, and ended on December 31, 1000, of the Julian calendar.

Famous Britons

Main articles: King of the Britons and List of legendary kings of Britain

• Arthur – Romano-British war leader of debatable historicity. The Britons or Brythons were the indigenous Celtic speaking people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland, whose The following list of legendary kings of Britain derives predominantly from Geoffrey of Monmouth 's circa 1136 work Historia Regum Britanniae ("the King Arthur is a legendary British leader who according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders The historical basis of King Arthur is a source of considerable debate among Historians.
• Boudica – Queen of the Iceni, who led the rebellion against Roman occupation in 60 CE. Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, formerly known as Boadicea, and known in Welsh culture and legends as "Buddug" (d The Iceni or Eceni were a Brythonic Tribe who inhabited an area of Britain corresponding roughly to the modern-day county of Norfolk The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial
• Caratacus – a leader of the defence against the Roman conquest of Britain. Caratacus ( Brythonic *Caratācos, Greek Καράτακος; variants Latin Caractacus, Greek Καρτάκης This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt.
• Cartimandua – Queen of the Brigantes during and after the Roman invasion. Cartimandua (or Cartismandua, ruled ca 43 - 69) whose name appears to contain the Indo-European element *mandu(a "pony"was a queen of the The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of Northern England and a significant part of the Midlands
• Cassivellaunus – led the defence against Julius Caesar's second expedition to Britain in 54 BCE. Cassivellaunus was a historical British chieftain who led the defence against Julius Caesar 's second expedition to Britain in 54 BC.
• Mailoc - Bishop of Britonia (Galicia) in the 6th century AD
• Commius – historical King of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then in Britannia, during the 1st century BCE. Mailoc or Maeloc was the bishop of Britonia ( Britoniensis ecclesiae episcopus) who participated in the Second Council of Braga (572 Britonia is the historical name of a settlement in Galicia (northwestern Spain) which was settled in the late fifth and early sixth centuries Commius ( Commios, Comius, Comnios) was a historical king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC and later also attested in Britain. The Atrebates (singular Atrebas, meaning "settlers" were a Belgic tribe of Gaul and Britain before the Roman conquests Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Britannia was the term originally used by the Romans to refer first to the British Isles, and later to the island of Great Britain.
• Cunedda – post-Roman King and progenitor of the Kingdom of Gwynedd. Cunedda ap Edern (c 386–c 460 AD; reigned from the 440s or 450s (Cunetacius Kenneth also known as Cunedda Wledig ("holder of lands" Gwynedd (pr) is one of several Welsh Successor states that emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain.
• Cunobelinus – historical King of southern Britain between the first and second Roman invasions. Cunobelinus (also written Kynobellinus, Κυνοβελλίνος in Greek sometimes abbreviated to Cunobelin) (late 1st century BC - 40s AD The basis for Shakespeare's Cymbeline. This article is about Shakespeare's play For the mythical British king see Cunobelinus.
• Cogidubnus - a British client-king, later made a citizen of Rome and awarded Fishbourne Roman Palace. Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus (or Togidubnus) was a 1st century king of the Regnenses in early Roman Britain. Fishbourne Roman Palace, in the village of Fishbourne in West Sussex, England is an important Roman archaeological site in Roman
• Pelagius – an influential Christian monk and theologian, branded a heretic later in life. Pelagius (ca 354 &ndash ca 420/440 was an ascetic monk who denied the doctrine of Original sin, later developed by Augustine of Hippo, and A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Heresy is an introduced change to some system of belief especially a religion that conflicts with the previously established canon of that belief
• Prasutagus – husband of Boudica. Prasutagus was king of a British Celtic tribe called the Iceni, who inhabited roughly what is now Norfolk, in the 1st century AD Boudica (also spelled Boudicca, formerly known as Boadicea, and known in Welsh culture and legends as "Buddug" (d
• Togodumnus – a leader of the defence against the Roman conquest of Britain. Togodumnus (d AD 43 was a historical king of the British Catuvellauni tribe at the time of the Roman conquest.
• Urien – King of Rheged (modern Lancashire and Cumbria). Urien was a late 6th century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom in northern England and southern Scotland. Rheged IPA r̥ɛgɛd was a Brythonic kingdom of Sub-Roman Britain, whose inhabitants spoke Cumbric, a dialect of Brythonic closely related Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy
• Vortigern – warlord and King in the 5th century CE. Vortigern (ˈvɔrtɨɡɝːn also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen and in Welsh Gwrtheyrn was a 5th century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among Best known for inviting the Jutes to Kent. The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutae were a Germanic people who according to Bede were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of the time KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format

References

1. ^ Snyder, Christopher A. (2003). The Britons. Blackwell Publishing. Blackwell Publishing Ltd was a Learned society publishing company based in Oxford, England. ISBN 0-631-22260-X.  
2. ^ ^{a b} Foster (editor), R F; Donnchadh O Corrain, Professor of Irish History at University College Cork: Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland (1 November 2001). Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The Oxford History of Ireland. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280202-X.  
3. ^ Encyclopedia of the Celts: Pretani
4. ^ OED s. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English v. "Briton". See also Online Etymology Dictionary: Briton
5. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary: Brythonic

See also

External links

• The History Files: The Island of Britain AD 450-600 (Map of British territories)
• The History Files: Main Index
• BBC - History - Native Tribes of Britain
• DNA from ethnic Britons found in Ireland