beaver,
bear (n.), and Gk. phrynos "toad," lit. "the brown animal"). The O.E. word also had a sense of "brightness, shining," now preserved only in
burnish. The Gmc. word was adopted into Romanic (cf. M.L. brunus, It., Sp. bruno, Fr. brun). Brown-bag (v.) "to bring lunch or liquor in a brown paper bag" is from 1960s. Brown Bess, slang name for old British Army flintlock musket, first recorded 1785.
Browningone of a range of U.S.-made weapons, 1905, named for inventor, John M. Browning (1855-1926) of Utah.