# Fra' Andrew Bertie, "Fra'?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 12, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274 "2008-02-12T13:27:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274/1 "2008-02-12T13:27:10Z")

</div>

I regret I must report the death of “Fra’ Andrew Bertie,” more fully “His Most Eminent Highness Fra’ Andrew Bertie,” Prince of the Church, head of the Knights of Malta. A fine man by all accounts.

What does “Fra’” mean?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274/2 "2008-02-12T13:33:10Z")

</div>

[Brother](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Diavolo).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trisha\_McMillan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Trisha\_McMillan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trisha_McMillan)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274/3 "2008-02-12T13:34:29Z")

</div>

‘fra: A title of address for a friar or monk, a shortened form of frate, brother.’

From [here](http://galileo.rice.edu/lib/glossary.html) .  
And upon preview: Dayamn! Too slow.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274/4 "2008-02-12T15:52:03Z")

</div>

Thank you. Latin I presume? Italian?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fra-andrew-bertie-fra/437274/5 "2008-02-12T16:40:37Z")

</div>

I think the practice originated among Italian monks (e.g. Fra Angelico), but it works either way: frater in Latin, frate or fratello in Italian. Nowadays it’s commonly used in fraternal organizations.