brân

See also: bran, Bran, and brån

Welsh

brain

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *bran, from Proto-Celtic *branos, from Proto-Indo-European *werneh₂-.

Compare Tocharian B wrauña, Lithuanian várna, Polish wrona.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /braːn/
• Rhymes: -aːn

Noun

brân f (plural brain)

1. crow; rook; raven

Derived terms

• brân dyddyn (“carrion crow”)
• brân fraith (“pied crow”)
• brân goesgoch (“chough”)
• brân lwyd (“hooded crow”)
• brân y goedwig (“large-billed crow”)
• brân y tai (“house crow”)
• cigfran (“raven”)
• fel yr hed y frân (“as the crow flies”)
• gwyn y gwêl y frân ei chyw (“a parent does not see the faults of his or her own child”)
• traed brain (“mess”)
• ydfran (“rook”)

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
brân	frân	mrân	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “brân”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

West Frisian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

brân c (plural brannen, diminutive brantsje)

1. fire, occurrence of fire

Further reading

• “brân (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011