friar English · revision 901

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈfɹaɪə/ ''(UK)''; /ˈfɹaɪɚ/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|frere]], later ''fryer'',^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[bor|fro|frere|t=brother; friar]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from [[la|frāter|t=brother]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) The change of spelling to ''friar'' (before 1596) parallels ''briar'' and ''choir''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A member of one of the mendicant religious orders (c. 1290 in the OED; before 1200 in Barnhart);^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995) also, in figurative use, a brother (c. 1290).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The word originally referred to the mendicant orders, the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites and Augustinians, who reached England in the early 13th century.^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Fowler distinguished the friar, whose work lies outside among the people and who lives on alms, from the [[monk]], who belongs to a particular monastery.^(Etymonline) The word was sometimes loosely applied to monks and members of military orders (c. 1330).^(OED 1989) In printing a ''friar'' is a pale patch on a page caused by poor inking.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1200 – ''frere'' (Barnhart).^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1290 – a member of a mendicant order.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1450 – the spelling ''fryer''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * before 1596 – the spelling ''friar''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1683 – in printing, a pale patch.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A member of one of the [[mendicant]] religious orders of the [[Roman Catholic]] Church, such as the [[Franciscan|alt=Franciscans]] or [[Dominican|alt=Dominicans]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(printing)'' A pale area on a printed page caused by uneven inking.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[friarly]]

+ * [[friarbird]]

+ * [[friary]]

+ * [[black friar]]

+ * [[grey friar]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[brother]]

+ * [[fraternal]]

+ * [[monk]]

+ * [[fratricide]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Random House refers ''friar'' to its entry on ''[[monk]]'', and Fowler notes that ''monk'' properly excludes the mendicant orders.^(RHWU)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}