Re: More on Italian briga, brigare, and brigante

To complicate things, my It. etym. dictionary (by M. Cortelazzo and
P. Zolli) questions the derivation of the verb brigare and of its
substantived participle, brigante, from the term briga, although in
this work, too, the latter is considered a probable loan from Celtic
bri:go- 'strength' as says Watkins.

Cortelazzo and Zolli think as follows:

1. It. BRIGA may have originally meant 'strength, vigour' (it is
used with this meaning by Dante). The semantic development
into 'strife, quarrel, controversy' would have occurred later, and
still later would that into 'nuisance, harassment, difficult
problem'. If this is the case, it is not necessary to postulate, as
does Watkins, a Proto-Celtic lemma *bri:ga:- 'strife' to accout for
It. briga 'strife etc.' Indeed, Cortelazzo and Zolli think Pr.Celt.
bri:go- 'strength' is the direct source of It. briga.

So this would be a congener with Spanish bregar, brega

 It's great stuff, so we'll name you our brigadier

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