Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "friar" come from? It comes from Latin frater, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "friar" come from? It comes from Latin frater, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).
Friar’s story begins in Latin: frater meant “brother.” The root of 'fraternal'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as frere. Members of mendicant orders like the Franciscans. It reached English by 1200s as friar. Friar Tuck of the Robin Hood tales made it popular. Today, friar means a member of a religious order of men.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient frater "brother", the root of 'fraternal'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval frere "brother; friar", members of mendicant orders like the Franciscans.
- Stage 3 · English · 1200s friar "mendicant brother", Friar Tuck of the Robin Hood tales made it popular.