Etymology

Formed on bruny; cp. OE gebyrnod and OIcel -brynjaðr.

PGmc Ancestor

*brunjon-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

brynja ‘cuirass, hauberk, coat of chain mail’; cp. -brynjaðr.
(ONP brynja (1) (sb.); -brynjaðr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far brynja, Icel brynja, Norw brynje, ODan brynje, OSw brynia, brönia

OE Cognate

byrne 'corslet'; cp. gebyrnod

Phonological and morphological markers

[

absence of metathesis

] (possibly diagnostic)

Summary category

C2c

Attestation

MED has only one other br- form, in c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 66

MED brinied (ppl.), OED brinie, brynie (n.), Dance bruny, Bj. 183-4, SPS 62–3, 284, de Vries brynja, Mag. brynja, Bj-L. brynje, Orel *ƀrunjōn, Kroonen *brunjōn-, AEW brynige, byrne, DOE brynige, byrne; gebyrnod

Bibliography