brun

See also: Brun, brún, brün, and brůn

Danish

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

From Old Norse brúnn.

Adjective

brun

1. brown (color/colour)
2. (as a noun) brown (color/colour)

Inflection

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	orange; brun	gul; flødefarvet
lime	grøn
cyan; turkis	azurblå	blå
violet; indigo	magenta; lilla	lyserød

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

brun

1. imperative of brune

References

• “brun” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch Low Saxon

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾuːn/

Adjective

brun

1. Alternative spelling of bruun

French

Etymology

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):

  (file)

• Audio (Belgium):

  (file)

• Audio (Quebec):

  (file)

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

Adjective

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

1. brown (color/colour)

Usage notes

• In France, 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

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “bruno”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “bruu”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “bru_u”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (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

German Low German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɾuːn/

Adjective

brun

1. Alternative spelling of bruun

Icelandic

Etymology

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

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

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)

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 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
    • Bislama: braon
    • Tok Pisin: braun
    • → Welsh: brown
    • → Tongan: palauni
  • Geordie English: broon
  • Scots: broon, broun

See also

Colors in Old English · dēage (layout · text)

hwīt	grǣġ	blæc, sweart
rēad; 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

Plautdietsch

Etymology

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

Adjective

brun

1. brown (color/colour)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French brun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brun/

Adjective

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

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

Declension

		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		brunelor	brunilor

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

Swedish

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)
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^[1], 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]‎^[2], 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^[3]:

     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^[4]:

     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	orange; brun	gul; beige
limegrön	grön
cyan (rare) turkos (common); teal	azur	blå
lila; indigo	magenta; purpur	rosa (common), skär (uncommon)

References

• brun in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• brun in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• brun in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)

Further reading

• Karlsson, Ola (2021 October 20) “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