A Spanish or Portuguese friar, a member of a religious order who lives under vows of poverty and charity.
Spanish and Portuguese 'fraile' comes from Latin 'fratellus' (little brother), derived from 'frater' (brother). The term was used to refer to members of religious orders in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking regions.
The word 'fraile' reveals how Latin's word for 'brother' (frater) became the word for religious orders across multiple languages—because friars called themselves 'brothers' in their communities, the word evolved to mean the role itself!
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