Charles, His Friend - Theatre Etymology - Part 25

"Charles, his friend," sounds like it is just a part of speech in a play. It sounds like one character is telling another that Charles is somebody's friend. However, the phrase is actually used for an uninspiring part in a play where the role is only there so the main character has somebody with whom they talk. There is no other reason that the character exists in the world of the play.

Saying that it sounds like reading part of dialogue is not too far from the origin of the phrase. It could be said that this is a stock character, though there is even less substance to this character than there is to a stock character. However, some sources say that "Charles, his friend," is actually the secondary young man of a play.

The phrase seems to have originated from the personae dramatis of an old forgotten play. The character was simply listed as "Charles, hi friend."

The name Charles means man. It is thought to have come from the German name Karl or German word karlaz meaning a free man. It is also thought that it may have come from the German name prefix hari which means army or warrior. The name was made popular in 17th century Britain when the Stuart king was named Charles I.

The word friend comes from the Middle English word friend, or frend or the Old English word frēond meaning friend, lover, or relative. It is also possibly decended from the Old Saxon word friund, the Old High German word friunt, the German word Freund, or the Gothic word frijōnds.

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