Briton
A
Briton is often referred to in broad terms as being an inhabitant of the geographical region of
Great Britain[Definition of Briton. The Free Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved 9 December 2005.] [ Definition of Briton. Wiktionary. Retrieved 9 December 2005. ] [Definition of Briton. Merriam-Webster Online ] or a person of
British ethnic extraction, including those who identify themselves as
English,
Welsh,
Scottish,
Cornish and many from
Northern Ireland (particularly
Ulster Scots).
The word's use in an historical context refers to:
*
Brythons, the
indigenous inhabitants of most of Great Britain in the times before the
Roman occupation.
* Native speakers of the
Brythonic languages.
* Their descendants in
Roman Britain, and the period up to the
Norman Conquest, including the
indigenous inhabitants of southern
Scotland at this time (referring to
Brythonic Celtic speakers, as distinguished from Romans,
Gaels,
Picts and
Anglo-Saxons).
In a modern context it is also used as a synonym for
British, either in the sense of:
* A resident and/or
citizen of the United Kingdom* A person who lists their ethnic group as British.
* A person indigenous to Great Britain.
The use of the term is sensitive in some areas, particularly in
Northern Ireland,
[British? Irish? Or what? from Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland (1968 to the Present) CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the INternet) ] and can vary in exact meaning depending on context and the author's personal prejudices.
Some people prefer to identify their nationality as exclusively
English (17%),
Scottish (31%),
Cornish (N/A)
[Data not available], or
Welsh (21%) not British,
[Devolution, Public Attitudes and National Identity (2006) in Devolution and Constitutional Change, ESRC list of authors] referring to aspects of their own culture and history which distinguish the nations of Britain from each other.
[ Gene Expression article February 2005 ] Whether someone refers to their nationality as English, Scottish, Welsh or
Northern Irish, it does not necessarily mean that they do not also consider themselves British, or cannot be classified as a Briton, as most people do not exclusively identify with a single nationality.
The use of the word in this respect remains highly subjective. The term British is also used by naturalised immigrants and their descendants. Thus
Black British is common usage, particularly in England, though less so in Scotland where such groups can be, for example, Pakistani Scots.
[UK: 25% of ethnic minority Scots have tried drugs, The Herald, Glasgow, 02 November 2001]*
King Arthur -
Mythical Romano-British war leader
*
Boudica, Queen of the
Iceni, who led the rebellion against
Roman occupation in 60.
*
Cassivellaunus, led the defence against Julius Caeser's second expedition to
Britannia in 54 B.C.
*
Caratacus, a leader of the defence against the
Roman conquest of Britain*
Commius historical king of the
Belgic nation of the
Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then in
Britannia, in the 1st century BC.
*
Peredurus, legendary king.
*
Prasutagus, husband of Boudica.
*
Togodumnus, a leader of the defence against the
Roman conquest of Britain*
Alternative words for British*
British Isles (terminology)*
British nationality law*
Immigration to the United Kingdom*
List of British people - famous Britons
*
List of Black Britons - famous Black Britons
*
Cornish people*
English people*
Scottish people*
Welsh people*
Irish people*
Celts*
Celtic tribes in Britain and Ireland*
Gaels*
Roman conquest of Britain*
Romano-British
