Etymograph

English

friar

Friar comes from Old French frere ‘brother’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰréh₂tēr‘brother’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frātēr‘brother’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrāter‘brother’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400frere‘brother’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishtodayfriar

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰréh₂tēr‘brother’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frātēr‘brother’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrāter‘brother’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400frere‘brother’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  6. Englishtodayfriar

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr ‘brother’

brother, bro, pal, brethren, bhai, 11 more

through Latin frāter ‘brother’

fraternity, fraternal, fra, frater, 5 more

Today it means

noun A member of a mendicant Christian order such as the Augustinians, Carmelites (white friars), Franciscans (grey friars) or the Dominicans (black friars).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr / friar

Shirt and support for this word