Frase

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A brief unit of language that conveys meaning and typically consists of one or more words arranged to express a single idea
2. A group of words structured to function as a meaningful element within speech or writing, often lacking a subject and predicate to form a complete sentence
3. A linguistic construction combining words in a specific order to communicate a concept, thought, or component of a sentence without necessarily being independent as a full sentence

Etymology: The noun in question traces its roots back to the Latin word "frānsis," which itself derived from the Latin verb "frangere," meaning "to break." This origin reflects an early conceptual link to something broken or fragmented, which evolved metaphorically over time. In medieval Latin, "frānsis" came to denote a segment of speech or a unit of expression, a step away from the physical notion of breaking toward a linguistic one. By the time the term entered Old French as "frase" or "phrase," it referred more specifically to a group of words that form a meaningful unit within speech or writing. English borrowed the term from Old French during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. Initially, it retained its sense of a single, coherent statement or expression, before broadening to its modern usage as a sequence of words forming a complete thought or part of a sentence. The evolution from the idea of "breaking" to "a segment of speech" illustrates how physical concepts often serve as foundations for abstract linguistic terms. The word’s journey from Latin through French to English highlights the layers of meaning accrued through centuries of language contact and semantic shift.

Synonyms: phrase, expression, sentence, clause, saying