The spelling with single -t- appears in the 13th century under the influence of Medieval Latin Britannicus, but spelling with -tt- persists alongside -t- during the 13th to 17th centuries.
In reference to the island of Great Britain from ca. 1400 (Latin '', Brittisshe occean 1398, the Britishe nacion'' 1548).
As a noun, referring to the British people, British soldiers, etc. from ca. 1600.
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