Brytanian

Brytanian is an historical term used as an adjective and occasionally as a noun in English-language writing. It has two main senses tied to Brittany and to the Brythonic branch of Celtic languages.

In ethnographic and historical contexts, Brytanian has appeared as an alternative or older form referring to Brittany (Bretagne) and its inhabitants. In this sense it is closely related to the Breton people and language, though modern English typically uses Breton for the people of Brittany or Breton language and Briton for inhabitants of Great Britain.

In linguistics, Brytanian has occasionally been used to denote the Brythonic (Brittonic) subgroup of Celtic languages, the branch that includes Welsh, Breton and Cornish. In current scholarship the preferred labels are Brythonic or Brittonic, with "Brytanian" regarded as archaic or nonstandard.

The term may also appear in discussions of archaeology or early medieval culture associated with Brythonic-speaking communities in Britain and Brittany. Because usage varies and is largely historical, contemporary encyclopedias and linguistics texts usually guide readers toward the standard terms.

Brytanian should not be confused with related demonyms such as Breton, Briton, or Welsh, and care should be taken to distinguish between Brittany in France and Great Britain in linguistic or ethnographic contexts.