byrnie

From Old Norse brynja. Cognates include Old English byrne, Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌽𐌾𐍉 (brunjō) (whence Old Church Slavonic брънѩ (brŭnję)), German Brünne.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɜːni/

byrnie (plural byrnies)

1. (historical) A short chain mail shirt, covering from the upper arms to the upper thighs.
   • 1972, John Gardner, Grendel, André Deutsch, page 97:

     Unferth stood beside him, his huge arms folded on his byrnie.

   • 1992, Calvin B Kendall, Voyage to the Other World, University of Minnesota, page 19:

     The mail-coat, or byrnie, was made of iron links that probably were cut out of sheet metal with a die, or from flat hammered wire cut into short lengths.

• haubergeon
• hauberk

• Birney, Briney