BROTHER, a male person in his relation to the other children of the same father and mother. The word is common to the Indo European language, cf. Ger. bruder, Dan. and Swed. broder, Lat. frater. The Sanskrit word is bhrdtdr, and the ultimate Indo-Euro pean root is generally taken to be bhar, to bear. "Brother" has often been loosely used of kinsmen generally, also for fictitious relationships, e.g., "blood-brothers," through a sacramental rite of mutual blood-tasting, "foster-brothers," because suckled by the same nurse. "Brethren" is the name given to members of the Church, and in a narrower sense to members of a religious con fraternity. Hence it is used also in fraternal societies, e.g., the Freemasons. Sovereigns address one another as "brother" to imply equality.