@realsimon
Origin of the proverb and origin of a word are not same. Origin of a proverb can be found in understandings of cultures I guess. Lets see one from Turks ;
It will not be about the etymology of FRIEND but the proverb. From proverb we may understand the approach under FRIEND.
I will give an example from another language (Turkish) to learn how the person/individual and the folk/society think.
In Turkish there is a suffix (TAŞ or sometimes DAŞ) adds meaning of COMMON or SAME for 2 +
or more than 2 person.
- For example physicists are occupationTAŞ or professionTAŞ, here occupation/profession is COMMON or SAME for them.
- For example Germans are homelandTAŞ, here homeland/Germany is COMMON/SAME for Germans.
- For example abdomen (= karın in Turkish) part of mother is COMMON/SAME for brothers, because of this Turkish of BROTHER is karınDAŞ. In time this karınDAŞ had turned to karDEŞ.
Now lets come to FRIEND, Turkish of FRIEND is arkaDAŞ. Does it seem ++×
something is COMMON/SAME for friends? Yes. Here what is ARKA of arkaDAŞ? Meaning of ARKA is BACK or BACKSIDE. Why we take backsides of friends are same/common? Because you rely on your backside, backdide is OK and trustable...
In all languages and cultures trustibility is important I guess. Now we can bring FRIEND and FAMILY together...
Simon
Metin Hamarat