brun

See also: Appendix:Variations of "brun"

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁuːˀn/, [b̥ʁuˀn], [b̥ʁo̝ˀn], [pʁuˀn], [pʁo̝ˀn]

Etymology 1

From Old Norse brúnn.

Adjective

brun (neuter brunt, plural and definite singular attributive brune)

1. brown (color/colour)
2. (nominalized) brown (color/colour)

Declension

Inflection of brun

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	brun	brunere	brunest2
indefinite neuter singular	brunt	brunere	brunest2
plural	brune	brunere	brunest2
definite attributive1	brune	brunere	bruneste

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Derived terms

• brune
• brunlig

See also

Colors in Danish · farver (layout · text)

hvid	grå	sort
rød; højrød, mørkerød	orange; brun	gul; flødefarvet
lime, lysegrøn	grøn, mørkegrøn	mintgrøn
cyan; turkis, lyseblå	azurblå, himmelblå	blå, mørkeblå
violet; indigo	magenta; lilla	lyserød, rosa

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

brun

1. imperative of brune

References

• “brun” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-?

Proto-Germanic *brūnaz

Frankish *brūnbor.

Old French brun

French brun

From Middle French, from Old French brun (“polished, shiny, brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁœ̃/
• (Paris, Northern France) IPA^(key): /bʁɛ̃/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /bʀœ̃˞/

• Audio (France):

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• Audio (Belgium):

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• Audio (Quebec):

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• Audio (Canada (Shawinigan)):

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• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

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• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France):

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• Audio (France (Vosges)):

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• Audio (France (Saint-Étienne)):

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• Audio (France (Lyon)):

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• Audio (France (Agen)):

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• Audio (France (Somain)):

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• Rhymes: -œ̃
• Homophone: brin (some speakers)

Adjective

brun (feminine brune, masculine plural bruns, feminine plural brunes)

1. brown (color/colour)

Usage notes

• In France (except for Alsace, Lorraine and parts of Franche-Comté), this is usually for hair, using marron for other uses.

Derived terms

• bière brune
• canard brun
• chemise brune
• lièvre brun
• naine brune
• sauce brune

Descendants

• → Breton: brun
• Louisiana Creole: brun
• → Romanian: brun

Noun

brun m (plural bruns, feminine brune)

1. brown (color/colour)
2. brown-haired person

See also

• châtain
• marron

See also

Colors in French · couleurs (layout · text)

blanc	gris	noir
rouge; cramoisi, carmin	orange; brun, marron	jaune; crème
lime	vert	menthe
cyan, turquoise; bleu canard	azur, bleu ciel	bleu
violet, lilas; indigo	magenta; pourpre	rose

Further reading

• “brun”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese brũu (14th century), from Old French brun (“polished, shiny, brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɾuŋ]

Adjective

brun (feminine bruna, masculine plural bruns, feminine plural brunas)

1. (archaic, of hair) brown
   • 1390, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Os Miragres de Santiago. Versión gallega del Códice latino del siglo XII atribuido al papa Calisto I, Madrid: C.S.I.C., page 133:

     Rey Calrros auia os cabelos brũus et a façe uermella, et avia o corpo moy bẽ feicto et de boo estado, et a catadura braua

     King Charles had brown hair and a reddish face, and his body was very well formed and in good shape, and his aspect was fierce

Related terms

• bruneta
• bruño

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “bruno”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “bruu”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “bru_u”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “bru” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “brun”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Icelandic

Etymology

See the verb bruna (“to speed, rush”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈprʏːn]

Noun

brun n (genitive singular bruns, no plural)

1. rush (the act of moving at high speed)
2. (skiing) alpine skiing

Declension

Declension of brun (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	brun	brunið
accusative	brun	brunið
dative	bruni	bruninu
genitive	bruns	brunsins

Further reading

• “brun” in the Dictionary of Modern Icelandic (in Icelandic) and ISLEX (in the Nordic languages)

Interlingua

Adjective

brun

1. brown (color/colour)

See also

Colors in Interlingua · colores (layout · text)

blanc, albe	gris	nigre
rubie	orange; brun	jalne; crema
verde lima	verde	verde mentha, acquamarine
cyano	azure	blau
violette; indigo	magenta; purpure	rosate

Louisiana Creole

Etymology

Inherited from French brun (“brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾœ̃/
• Rhymes: -œ̃

Adjective

brun

1. brown (color/colour)

   Synonym: maron

See also

Colors in Louisiana Creole · koulær-yé (layout · text)

blan	gri	nwa, nwar
rouj	zoranj; brun, maron	jonn, jònn
	vè, vèr, vær, væt	vè fonsé
sèrsèl		blé, ble
vyolé, vyolèt	lila	ròz, roz

Low German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾuːn/

Adjective

brun

1. alternative spelling of bruun

Norman

Alternative forms

• breun (Guernsey, Cotentin)

Etymology

From Old French brun (“polished, shiny, brown”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (Jersey):

  (file)

Adjective

brun m

1. (Jersey) brown (color/colour)

Norn

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brʊːn/

Adjective

brun

1. brown

See also

Colors in Norn · lit (layout · text)

hvid	grå, høset	swart
rø	brun	gol
	grøn
	blå	blå

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse brúnn.

Adjective

brun (masculine and feminine brun, neuter brunt, definite singular and plural brune, comparative brunere, indefinite superlative brunest, definite superlative bruneste)

1. brown (color/colour)

Derived terms

• brunbjørn
• brungul
• brunkull
• brunlig
• brunrotte
• gulbrun
• gyllenbrun
• kastanjebrun
• lysebrun
• mørkbrun, mørkebrun
• solbrun

See also

Colors in Norwegian Bokmål · farger (layout · text)

hvit	grå	svart
rød; karmosin	oransje; brun	gul; kremfarge
limegrønn	grønn
cyan	asur	blå
fiolett; indigo	magenta; lilla	rosa

References

• “brun” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• bron (dialectal)

Etymology

From Old Norse brúnn.

Adjective

brun (neuter brunt, definite singular and plural brune, comparative brunare, indefinite superlative brunast, definite superlative brunaste)

1. brown (color/colour)

Derived terms

• brunbjørn
• brungul
• brunleg
• brunrotte
• gulbrun
• gyllenbrun
• kastanjebrun
• lysebrun
• mørkbrun, mørkebrun
• solbrun

See also

Colors in Norwegian Nynorsk · fargar (layout · text)

kvit	grå	svart
raud	oransje; brun	gul
	grøn
(turkis)		blå
	rosa; lilla	rosa

References

• “brun” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse brúnn.

Adjective

brun

1. brown

Descendants

• Danish: brun

See also

Colors in Old Danish · lyt (layout · text)

hwit	gra	swart
røth	brun	guul
	grøn
		bla

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *brūn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bruːn/

Adjective

brūn

1. brown (color/colour)

Declension

Declension of brūn — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	brūn	brūn	brūn
Accusative	brūnne	brūne	brūn
Genitive	brūnes	brūnre	brūnes
Dative	brūnum	brūnre	brūnum
Instrumental	brūne	brūnre	brūne
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	brūne	brūna, brūne	brūn
Accusative	brūne	brūna, brūne	brūn
Genitive	brūnra	brūnra	brūnra
Dative	brūnum	brūnum	brūnum
Instrumental	brūnum	brūnum	brūnum

Declension of brūn — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	brūna	brūne	brūne
Accusative	brūnan	brūnan	brūne
Genitive	brūnan	brūnan	brūnan
Dative	brūnan	brūnan	brūnan
Instrumental	brūnan	brūnan	brūnan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	brūnan	brūnan	brūnan
Accusative	brūnan	brūnan	brūnan
Genitive	brūnra, brūnena	brūnra, brūnena	brūnra, brūnena
Dative	brūnum	brūnum	brūnum
Instrumental	brūnum	brūnum	brūnum

Descendants

• Middle English: broun, broyn, brown, brun, bruyn
  • English: brown, broon (Northumbria)
    • Bislama: braon
    • Tok Pisin: braun
    • → Tongan: palauni
    • → Welsh: brown
    • → Ulithian: brawon
  • Geordie: broon
  • Scots: broon, broun

See also

Colors in Old English · dēage (layout · text)

hwīt	grǣġ	blæc, sweart
rēad, rēod; basu	ġeolurēad; brūn	ġeolu
	grēne
	blāw	blāw
	purpuren

Old French

Etymology

From Late Latin brunus (attested in Isidore of Seville), from Frankish *brūn (“brown, dark, shiny”), from Proto-Germanic *brūnaz (“brown”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɾyn/

Adjective

brun m (oblique and nominative feminine singular brune)

1. brown (color/colour)

Declension

	Case	masculine	feminine	neuter
singular	subject	bruns	brune	brun
	oblique	brun			brune	brun
plural	subject	brun	brunes		brun
	oblique	bruns			brunes	brun

Descendants

• Middle French: brun
  • French: brun
    • → Breton: brun
    • Louisiana Creole: brun
    • → Romanian: brun
• Norman: breun, brun (Jersey)
• → Galician: brun (archaic)

Noun

brun oblique singular, m (oblique plural bruns, nominative singular bruns, nominative plural brun)

1. brown-haired person

Declension

	Case	masculine	feminine
singular	subject	bruns	brune
	oblique	brun	brune
plural	subject	brun	brunes
	oblique	bruns	brunes

Old High German

Alternative forms

• prūn

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *brūn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bruːn/

Adjective

brūn

1. brown (color/colour)

Declension

Strong declension of brun

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnēr, brun	brūniu, brun	brūnaȥ, brun
accusative	brūnan	brūna	brūnaȥ, brun
genitive	brūnes	brūnera	brūnes
dative	brūnemu	brūneru	brūnemu
instrumental	brūnu	—	brūnu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūne, brun	brūno, brun	brūniu, brun
accusative	brūne	brūno	brūniu, brun
genitive	brūnero	brūnero	brūnero
dative	brūnēm	brūnēm	brūnēm

Weak declension of brun

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūno	brūna	brūna
accusative	brūnon	brūnūn	brūna
genitive	brūnen	brūnūn	brūnen
dative	brūnen	brūnūn	brūnen
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnon	brūnūn	brūnon
accusative	brūnon	brūnūn	brūnon
genitive	brūnōno	brūnōno	brūnōno
dative	brūnōm	brūnōm	brūnōm

Declension of comparative of brun

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōro	brūnōra	brūnōra
accusative	brūnōron	brūnōrūn	brūnōra
genitive	brūnōren	brūnōrūn	brūnōren
dative	brūnōren	brūnōrūn	brūnōren
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōron	brūnōrūn	brūnōron
accusative	brūnōron	brūnōrūn	brūnōron
genitive	brūnōrōno	brūnōrōno	brūnōrōno
dative	brūnōrōm	brūnōrōm	brūnōrōm

Strong declension of superlative brun

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōstēr, brūnōst	brūnōstiu, brūnōst	brūnōstaȥ, brūnōst
accusative	brūnōstan	brūnōsta	brūnōstaȥ, brūnōst
genitive	brūnōstes	brūnōstera	brūnōstes
dative	brūnōstemu	brūnōsteru	brūnōstemu
instrumental	brūnōstu	—	brūnōstu
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōste, brūnōst	brūnōsto, brūnōst	brūnōstiu, brūnōst
accusative	brūnōste	brūnōsto	brūnōstiu, brūnōst
genitive	brūnōstero	brūnōstero	brūnōstero
dative	brūnōstēm	brūnōstēm	brūnōstēm

Weak declension of superlative brun

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōsto	brūnōsta	brūnōsta
accusative	brūnōston	brūnōstūn	brūnōsta
genitive	brūnōsten	brūnōstūn	brūnōsten
dative	brūnōsten	brūnōstūn	brūnōsten
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	brūnōston	brūnōstūn	brūnōston
accusative	brūnōston	brūnōstūn	brūnōston
genitive	brūnōstōno	brūnōstōno	brūnōstōno
dative	brūnōstōm	brūnōstōm	brūnōstōm

Descendants

• Middle High German: brūn
  • Alemannic German: bruun

    Swabian:

  • Bavarian:
  • Central Franconian: brong, brung, broun

    Hunsrik: braun

    Luxembourgish: brong

  • East Central German:

    Vilamovian: braojn

  • East Franconian:
  • German: braun
  • Rhine Franconian:
    • Pennsylvania German: brau
  • Yiddish: ברוין (broyn)

See also

Colors in Old High German · farawa, farwa (layout · text)

wīȥ	grāo	swarz
rōt	gelewrōt, gelorōt, rōtgelo; brūn, ërpf	gelo
	gruoni
	blāo	blāo
	purpura

See further

• Karg-Gasterstädt, Elisabeth; Frings, Theodor; et al., editors (1952–2022), “brûn”, in Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch‎^[1] (in German), Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, via Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German brûn, from Old Saxon brūn, from Proto-West Germanic *brūn.

Adjective

brun

1. brown (color/colour)

Derived terms

• dunkelbrun
• jälbrun
• lichtbrun
• nätbrun
• rootbrun

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French brun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brun/

Adjective

brun m or n (feminine singular brună, masculine plural bruni, feminine/neuter plural brune)

1. brown (color/colour)
2. brown- or dark-haired

Declension

Declension of brun

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	brun		brună	bruni	brune
	definite	brunul		bruna	brunii	brunele
genitive- dative	indefinite	brun		brune	bruni	brune
	definite	brunului		brunei	brunilor	brunelor

See also

Colors in Romanian · culori (layout · text)

alb	gri	negru
roșu; carmin	portocaliu; maro	galben; crem
	verde	verde mentă
cyan	bleu	albastru
violet; indigo	mov; purpură	roz; trandafiriu (poetic)

Swedish

en brun brunbjörn [a brown brown bear]

Etymology

From Old Swedish brūn, from Old Norse brúnn. The political sense is originally a reference to the brown uniforms worn by members of the Sturmabteilung, a paramilitary organization in Nazi Germany.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /¹brʉːn/, [¹brʉ̟ːn̪]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʉːn

Adjective

brun (comparative brunare, superlative brunast)

1. brown (color/colour)

   Fyra nyanser av brunt

   Four Shades of Brown [a movie]

2. (politics, usually derogatory, relational) of fascism or right-wing nationalism

   ett brunt parti ― a fascist party (literally, “a brown party”)

   • 2010, Lars Ulwencreutz, Redaktör'n har ordet‎^[2], Ulwencreutz Media, →ISBN, page 186:

     Bondeförbundet (Centerpartiet) var en gång ett mycket "brunt parti", bruna sympatier fanns även hos gamla Högerpartiet (Moderaterna). Kristen Demokratisk Samling (Kristdemokraterna) grundades till och med av gamla nationalsocialister.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2011, Mattias Gardell, Islamofobi [Islamophobia]‎^[3], Leopard förlag, →ISBN, page 254:

     De bruna valframgångarna är en indikator på hur det politiska spektrumet i sig har vridits mot en kulturisering av politiken där politiker utger sig för att slå vakt om västerländska, Europeiska^[sic] och nationella värden mot det föreställda hotet från islam och muslimer[...]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2021 December 2, P-A Hultman, “Hur bruna är Sverigedemokraterna?”, in Strömstads Tidning‎^[4]:

     Detta visar att nazismen och SD har samma tankar och idéer. Det finns således bevis för att ”brunt parti” stämmer väl överens med kända fakta om SD.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2023 January 27, “C måste göra upp med sitt bruna förflutna”, in Eskilstuna-Kuriren‎^[5]:

     Under första halvan av 1900-talet hade Bondeförbundet, 1957 namnändrat till Centerpartiet (C), en mycket brun politik. Kanske var den brunare än den hos (S), men om detta vet vi inte då många dokument fortfarande är hemligstämplade?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Inflection of brun

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	brun	brunare	brunast
neuter singular	brunt	brunare	brunast
plural	bruna	brunare	brunast
masculine plural2	brune	brunare	brunast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	brune	brunare	brunaste
all	bruna	brunare	brunaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

• bajsbrun
• blåbrun
• brunbjörn
• brunbränd
• brunbränna
• brunhirs
• brunhårig
• brunsmeta
• brunsten
• chokladbrun

Descendants

• → Elfdalian: brun
• → Estonian: pruun

See also

• brunt (noun)

Colors in Swedish · färger (layout · text)

vit	grå	svart
röd; karmosin, karmosinröd, blodröd	orange (common), brandgul (now uncommon); brun	gul; beige
limegrön	grön	mintgrön
turkos (common), cyan (rare); blågrön, teal	himmelsblå, azur	blå
lila, violett, gredelin (light lavender, now uncommon); indigo	magenta; purpur	rosa (common), skär (uncommon)

References

• “brun”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “brun”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• brun in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Further reading

• Karlsson, Ola (20 October 2021), “Vad betyder brun och blåbrun i politikens värld?”, in isof.se (in Swedish), Swedish Institute for Language and Folklore, retrieved 27 June 2023
• Politisk färg on the Swedish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^sv