broeder

Broeder is a Dutch noun meaning a male sibling. In ordinary language the common term is bro er, while bro eder is more formal, literary, or ceremonial and is often used to evoke tradition or to address male members in certain groups. In religious contexts, bro eder refers to a male member of a religious community who is not ordained as a priest, such as a monk or a lay brother.

The word derives from Germanic roots and is cognate with the English brother and the German Bruder. In modern Dutch, bro eder survives as a more archaic or formal variant, while bro er remains the everyday term.

In secular usage, bro eder appears in historical or ceremonial writing and in some literary works. It features in phrases related to fraternity and kinship, such as broederliefde (fraternal love) and broederschap (brotherhood or fraternity). It can also function as a respectful or emphatic form of address among male companions in certain contexts.

Afrikaans, as a closely related language, uses broer for the everyday word for brother, but bro eder exists as a cognate and appears in formal or historic contexts and in compounds such as Broederbond. The term thus retains a presence in both Dutch and Afrikaans, especially in traditional, religious, or ceremonial language.