Brodnici

The Brodnici (, ) were a tribe of disputed origin.

==Etymology== In some opinions, the name, as used by foreign chronicles, means a person in charge of a ford (water crossing) in Slavic language (cf. Slavic brodŭ). The probable reason for the name is that the territory of the Brodniks constituted the link between the mountain passes in the Carpathians and the mouths of the Danube, having a major economical importance, assuring the access to the Genovese colonies. According to other opinions, their name is related to Slavic бродить ("to wander"), probably referring to the nomadic way of life of this population. Other opinions claim that the name came from the river Prut or from its purportedly old name Brutus.