Word for Wednesday: Companion

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Yesterday marked International Day of Friendship and to celebrate we’ve picked companion for this week’s Word for Wednesday. 

Friendship days are marked all over the world. Loved ones are honoured with gifts, cards, and friendship bracelets. In 2011, the UN General Assembly declared July 30 as International Day of Friendship with ‘the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.’ 

So why have we chosen the word companion and not friend as this week’s word? Honestly – because we think it has a more interesting origin.

The word dates back to around 1300 and comes from the Old French ‘compaignon’ which means ‘one who breaks bread with another’. A companion was someone you shared food - or broke bread - with. In Latin, ‘com-’ means ‘together with’ and ‘panis’ means bread. You can learn more about the influence of bread on the English language here. 

Food plays a vital role in sustaining friendships so why not celebrate this year by sharing a meal with the people you care about? 
 


31 Jul 2019
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