`  ==Britain==  :When the Romans took control of the largest island they called their possessions Britannia. The earlier celtic inhabitants became known as Britons and the island as Britain. Some centuries after the Romans had left, some of these Britons migrated to the near continent. About 1000 years later (i.e. by the late Middle Ages) the region they had moved to was known as Brittany, and to distinguish the island the term Great Britain was used (compare the French names Bretagne and Grande Bretagne). After the fall of the Roman Empire, the name largely fell into abeyance and tended to be used in an historical sense. Geoffrey of Monmouth used Britannia major and Britannia minor to refer to the island of Britain and Brittany respectively.  Which name fell into abeyance - Great Britain? Geoffrey of monmouth comes before Roman departure + some centuries + 1000 years, so his use of Britannia major (= Great Britain) is the first use of it in the article, not a revival or historical use of a name ``in abeyance``.  `