Frère

Frère is a masculine French noun that primarily denotes a male sibling. It is also used as a title or form of address for members of religious communities, such as monks or friars, and can appear in figurative phrases to indicate a close male ally or fellow member of a group.

Etymology and forms: Frère comes from Latin frater meaning brother, passing through Old French with the current spelling including a circumflex over the e. The standard plural is frères. The word is related to other Romance-language terms such as Italian fratello and Spanish hermano, all rooted in the same Latin source. The feminine counterpart is sœur, meaning sister.

Usage and contexts: In ordinary family language, frere refers to one’s brother. In religious contexts, it denotes a member of a religious order and forms part of titles like frère supérieur. In secular speech, it can appear in expressions of solidarity or camaraderie, for example in phrases like “frère de sang” (blood brother) or “frère de lait” (milk brother, a term for a godparent-like nursing bond). The phrase “frère et sœur” is commonly used to describe siblings collectively.

Pronunciation and orthography: Frère is written with a circumflex on the first e (ê) and is pronounced roughly as [fʁɛʁ] in standard Parisian French, with the final r pronounced and the final e typically silent.

See also: sœur (sister); frère en Christ (brother in Christ); Frère Jacques, the famous French carol often cited as an example of the word in culture.