Bronnitsy - Etymology

Etymology

Toponyms starting with Bron- (plural Bronnitsy, Broniki; singular Bronnikovo, Brontsa etc.) are common to all Eastern Slavic territories, from Bronytsia in Lviv Oblast of Ukraine to Bronnikovo in Chita Oblast of Russia. Each of these towns and villages has a different etymology behind its name. In case of Bronnitsy in Moscow Oblast, all proposed versions were contested and none gained a solid preference of the historians.

  • The most popular version derives Bronnitsy from bron' (modern Russian: броня, armor), suggesting that Bronnitsy was a settlement of armorers. This version, however, contradicts history of medieval Bronnitsy.
  • Distantly related explanations suggest the existence of a notable bronnik - an armored warrior, or a person named Bronislav.
  • Another explanation connects Bronnitsy to bran' (брань, fight or battle), referring to the struggle against Tatars.
  • The most plausible version derives Bronnitsy from obsolete bronka, a word originally meaning oat spikes, later spikes of any cultivated cereal. Bronnitsy emerged as a station on a yam highway, and its grain caches were essential for feeding yam horses. Bronnitsy, presumably, were the feeding troughs placed along the highway.

The latter version is supported by the fact that another, and older, village once named Bronnitsy, present-day Bronnitsa on Msta River, also evolved as a yam station.

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