Etymology Map
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Comrade

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a companion who shares one's activities

Where does the word "comrade" come from? It comes from Latin camera, passing through Spanish before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
camera
Latin · ancient
"room, chamber"
the root of 'chamber'
2
Stage 2 of 3
camarada
Spanish · 1500s
"roommate, fellow soldier"
a group sharing a room, especially soldiers in barracks; came via French 'camarade'
3
Stage 3 of 3
comrade
English · 1590s
"companion"
the socialist form of address dates from the 1880s
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Read the full story

Comrade’s story begins in Latin: camera meant “room, chamber.” The root of 'chamber'. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as camarada. A group sharing a room, especially soldiers in barracks; came via French 'camarade'. It reached English by 1590s as comrade. The socialist form of address dates from the 1880s. Today, comrade means a companion who shares one's activities.