comrade

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcamara
2. Medieval Latin · derived from*camarata
3. Italian · derived fromcamerata“chamber mate”
4. Spanish · derived fromcamarada
5. Middle French · borrowed fromcamarade
6. English todaycomrade

From earlier cumrade, camrade, comerade, camerade, camarade, from Middle French camarade, from Spanish camarada or Italian camerata (“chamber mate”), from Medieval Latin *camarata, from Latin camara, camera (“vaulted room, chamber”); see chamber. Compare camaraderie and chamberlain.

First known use, by meaning

• from 1590s A mate, companion, or associate.
• from 1590s A companion in battle; fellow soldier.
• from 1884 A fellow socialist, communist or other similarly politically aligned person.
• from 1884 A non-hierarchical title, functionally similar to "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Miss", "Ms." etc, in a communist, socialist, or rarely in an Islamist state.