Frail and Fragile Are the Same Latin Word
Frail means weak or delicate. It and fragile descend from one Latin word by two different routes into English.
Frail means weak, delicate or easily broken. It and *fragile* are the same Latin word arriving twice: *fragilis* came through Old French, worn down to *frail*, and later straight from Latin as *fragile*. English has many such pairs, one worn and everyday, one learned and precise. In use they have divided: people are frail, objects are fragile.
- Physically weak. *A frail old man.*
- Easily broken. *A frail structure.*
- Frailty — weakness. *Human frailty.*
- Fragile — the learned twin. *Fragile glass.*
- Latin — *fragilis*, breakable. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | frail | Frail health. |
| Comparative | frailer | Frailer now. |
| Noun | frailty | Human frailty. |
| Doublet | fragile | Fragile items. |
| Latin | fragilis | Breakable. |
- She has become frail this winter.People.
- The vase is extremely fragile.Objects.
- Both come from Latin fragilis.Etymology.
Doublets: one word, borrowed twice
- Frail and fragile — through French, and from Latin
- Royal and regal — the same pattern
- Chief and chef — borrowed five centuries apart
- Guard and ward — Norman and Old English forms
- Cattle and chattel — both from Latin *capitalis*
Old French *fraile*, from Latin *fragilis*, breakable, from *frangere*, to break.
What is the difference between frail and fragile?
In practice, frail describes people and health; fragile describes objects. Historically they are the same word.
Are frail and fracture related?
Yes. Both go back to Latin frangere, to break.