Talk:friend

Misc early discussion
I don't know much about the Turkish language, but shouldn't the translation in Turkish read arkadaş instead of arkada,s? D.D. 18:48 May 14, 2003 (UTC)

Of course it should be, but I can't type that when I'm not sitting behind my trusted Linux workstation... SorryPolyglot 22:15 May 14, 2003 (UTC)

I deleted the Indonesian word "sobat" and added "kawan" - "sobat" does mean "friend", too, but it is not very common, while "kawan" is frequently used. Or should all possible translations be included? Then we should put "sobat" back on the list. 80.129.146.16 20:14, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)

We could put it in and add a comment that it is very uncommon. The more complete, the better. But it is certainly appreciated that you pointed this out. I'll put it back in, with a comment. Polyglot 21:56, 6 Apr 2004 (UTC)

English does not have these two senses of the word friend! If other languages do then that's for notes or for the entry for those languages. &mdash; Hippietrail 00:19, 7 Apr 2004 (UTC)

To a native francophone, this definition makes it seem like a lover or spouse cannot be a friend, but maybe it's just me. I'd like to get some more opinions before i change anything.

A 2005 usage note from the US West: something I've noticed only in recent years (I've listened to American English for over 50 of them) is the usage of "my friend" by people (usually under 30) to refer to someone they know IN PLACE OF something more specific, like "my boyfriend" or "my girlfriend". An interesting development.

friend
In the romantic-friendship sense. (The romantic friendship article is cited, but I don't think that friend alone can really mean that.) —RuakhTALK 17:18, 9 May 2007 (UTC)


 * It's almost identical to the first definition. Redundant.--Dmol 17:33, 9 May 2007 (UTC)


 * Agreed. Since friend apparently also means boy/girlfriend, there's no evidence that "friend" has any implication on sexual relation. Removed. DAVilla 20:14, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Examples could really help a case like this. Was the contributor thinking of "just a friend" or "just friends" perhaps? Does that merit inlusion separately? DAVilla 20:16, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

'Friend' meaning 'gun'
Hi,

I think the definition 'gun' should be added. It's used in all kinds of popular culture, such as the movies Get Shorty and Heist. - Richardcavell 23:10, 1 November 2010 (UTC)


 * Could you give a few example quotations from those films? Equinox ◑ 23:12, 1 November 2010 (UTC)
 * It looks like a simple metaphor to me. SemperBlotto 07:54, 2 November 2010 (UTC)

Tea room discussion
Sense 4: "A person with whom one is vaguely or indirectly acquainted. a friend of a friend" But that person is a direct friend of the first friend. So I think this is just sense 1 and should be removed. Equinox ◑ 03:20, 7 March 2010 (UTC)


 * Is this a case of semantic "bleaching"? The use of "friend" to apply to someone to whom one is attempting to ingratiate oneself would lead to it gradually referring more to mere acquaintances who were not overt enemies (and to opponents or even enemies).
 * There are many cases where there is no strong assertion of friendship in "a friend of a friend", especially in the first "friend". There is also at least the suggestion that the friendship chain could be longer for all the speaker knows (sometimes "a friend of a friend of a friend"). Does friend of a friend therefor warrant an entry? DCDuring TALK 12:25, 9 March 2010 (UTC)
 * The way the two senses are worded, they're not the same. You'd have to combine them into a more general sense. Good luck, chaps! Mglovesfun (talk) 13:20, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

Slavic Prijatel & Friend. Freund/Friend derived from the Satem word "Priyat" which means "Nice, favorable, comfort". There are many "germanic" (Gothic) words which indirectly derived from Slavic or Baltic or Persian and are not even mentioned. The Linguistic root PRYT transmuted into "Pf" or F, Ling. root FRNT / FRND, in Gothic ("germanic" languages) as "Freund, Friend,..."

RFV discussion: October 2016–May 2017
A Cantonese term. --Anatoli T. (обсудить/вклад) 06:58, 23 October 2016 (UTC)


 * I know that the phrase "friend返" ("restore friendship with") appears in at least one dub of an anime. It was a terrible show though and I am reluctant to dig it up. —suzukaze (t・c) 07:04, 23 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Well, if you want to protect the entry, you'll have to find something. Would the dubbing qualify as a citation, though? Could it be just a case of code-switching for some special effect? In environments where English is well understood or spoken, it's quite common to throw in a word or two in English. Not sure if "friend" mixed in a Chinese text/conversation can ever be qualified as Chinese (also). --Anatoli T. (обсудить/вклад) 07:10, 23 October 2016 (UTC)
 * OK, I've just put in some quotations on the page. — justin(r)leung { (t...) 07:35, 28 October 2016 (UTC)


 * RFV passed. —Μετάknowledge discuss/deeds 04:53, 12 May 2017 (UTC)

Scots word
To be moved to wherever the Scots entry is, if there is one: - -sche (discuss) 21:54, 24 July 2020 (UTC)
 * 1882, William Alexander, Sketches of Life Among My Ain Folk:
 * Ou na, man... he's nae freen'; a neebour lad 't we've kent sin' he was a bairn.

RFV discussion: July–August 2020
Sense two.

Outside of someone attempting to beat about the bush when describing a boyfriend or girlfriend to someone else, when is this ever used in this way?

If this stays, it needs descriptor tags and/or clarification in the usage notes. Tharthan (talk) 05:07, 20 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Century has this as "6. A lover, of either sex. [Now only colloq.] 'If you know yourself clear, why, I am glad of it: but if you have a friend here, convey, convey him out.' Shak., M. W. of W., iii. 3." That may be the quotation sought by our sense 10, "(obsolete) A paramour of either sex.", which should probably be combined with this one (and moved down, and possibly labelled obsolete or dated or colloquial, depending on whether we can find more modern examples), as suggested by the 1933 OED, which has a combined sense "a lover or paramour, of either sex", marked obsolete, with two more quotations of Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 405 "O! neuer will I .. come in vizard to my friend, Nor woo in rime like a blind-harpers songe." and Measure for Measure I. iv. 29 "He hath got his friend with childe", and one quotation of Foote, which I added. That makes for two independent uses. - -sche (discuss) 20:17, 24 July 2020 (UTC)
 * I would combine the senses considering that use of friend a euphemism that stood the test of time., "In the Winter", 1975: "I met your friend.  She's very nice, what can I say?" Vox Sciurorum (talk) 20:36, 24 July 2020 (UTC)

RFV-resolved Kiwima (talk) 05:33, 15 August 2020 (UTC)

Family and lovers
Some dictionaries draw the distinction that family members and romantic lovers do not count as "friends." However, a quick Google search for "sibling friendship" shows that consensus holds that siblings not only can be friends, but are often the closest friends. A sibling-sibling relationship should thus be viewed as a special friendship. Here are a few of the results.


 * https://happinessishereblog.com/in-case-you-didnt-know-siblings-can-be-friends/
 * https://www.kidsinthehouse.com/blogs/kidsinthehouse2/how-to-help-your-siblings-build-a-lifelong-friendship

Just my two cents. Inner Focus (talk) 19:51, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

friend or foe
Is this character in the story friend or foe? --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:08, 14 April 2021 (UTC)

idioms: he has been a friend to me
This word has settled into some exceptional idioms: a friend of mine; he is friends with me; she made friends with me; he has been a friend to me --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:38, 31 July 2021 (UTC)