camarade

French

Etymology

Before 1571, camarade ("soldiers' dormitory") is feminine. 1587, in military slang camarade either masculine or feminine, with the sense of "who shares with someone else", thereafter "buddy"; 1869 political sense.

From Spanish camarada, itself from cámara (“chamber”) rather than Italian camerata which is slightly later but which influenced the form camerade which is attested in the 16th and 17th centuries. Both Italian and Spanish correspond to the construction of French chambrée.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.ma.ʁad/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

camarade m or f by sense (plural camarades)

1. buddy, mate

   On est camarades depuis le lycée.

   We've been buddies since high school. (US)
   We've been mates since secondary school. (UK)

2. comrade (companion or fellow socialist or communist)

   Il y a encore des têtes à couper
   Il y a encore des rois à dézinguer
   Allons camarades pas question de se rendre
   Il y a encore des forteresses à prendre. (Nono Futur, Goulag 666)

Synonyms

• ami
• compagnon (de route, de lutte, etc.)
• copain
• coturne (school slang)

Derived terms

• camaraderie

Descendants

• → German: Kamerad
  • → Polish: kamrat
  • → Silesian: kamrat
• English: comrade

References

• “camarade”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Further reading

• “camarade”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.