mendicant

English

WOTD – 10 July 2008    

Etymology

From Latin mendīcāns, present participle of mendīcō (“beg”). Compare French mendiant.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

mendicant (not comparable)

1. Depending on alms for a living.
2. Of or pertaining to a beggar.
3. Of or pertaining to a member of a religious order forbidden to own property, and who must beg for a living.

Translations

depending on alms

• Finnish: kerjäläis- (fi)
• French: mendiant (fr) m
• German: Bettel- (de)
• Latin: mendīcāns (la)

• Polish: żebrzący
• Russian: нищенствующий (ru) (niščenstvujuščij)
• Spanish: mendicante (es)

or or pertaining to a beggar

• Finnish: kerjäläis- (fi)

• Russian: нищенский (ru) (niščenskij)

or or pertaining to a member of a religious order who begs

• Finnish: kerjäläis- (fi)

• Spanish: mendicante (es)

Noun

mendicant (plural mendicants)

1. A pauper who lives by begging.
2. A religious friar, forbidden to own personal property, who begs for a living.

Translations

beggar

• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Crimean Tatar: tilençi
• Finnish: kerjäläinen (fi)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Bettler (de) m
• Italian: mendicante (it)

• Polish: żebrak (pl)
• Portuguese: mendigo (pt)
• Romanian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: нищий (ru) (niščij), попрошайка (ru) (poprošajka)
• Spanish: mendigo (es) m
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can

friar

• Finnish: kerjäläismunkki (fi)
• German: Bettelmönch
• Manx: braar boght (gv) m

• Polish: mnich żebrzący
• Russian: нищенствующий монах (ru) (niščenstvujuščij monax) m

Related terms

• mendicant order

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Latin

Verb

mendīcant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of mendīcō