Obs. Also 6 camarada, 6–7 camerado, 7 como-, cam-, comrado. [a. Sp. camarada (also camarado, Minsheu, 1599), ‘comerade, bedfellow, chamber-fellow,’ orig. ‘camerado souldiour,’ ‘cabbin-mate souldier,’ from camarada (= It. and L. type camerata, F. chambrée) a chambered or cabined (company), ‘a chamberfull, a company that belongs to one chamber, tent, or cabin’; f. Sp. camara chamber, room:—L. camera: see CAMERA and -ADO. The Sp. word was a collective feminine, of the same type as ambuscade, cavalcade, which, like COMPANY, sense 4, was at length applied to a single person who is one’s ‘company’ or chamber-mate; in which sense also it was sometimes altered into the masc. form camarado. (In the original collective sense CAMARADA was also used in Eng.) The Sp. word was adapted in Fr. as camarade, -erade fem. in the collective sense (Cotgr.), whence camarade masc. the individual; hence Eng. camerade and, in part, COMRADE. The o in the Eng. comorado, comrado, comrade, was prob. intended for the Sp. a, which was opener than the Eng.] = COMRADE.
1598. Baret, Theor. Warres, I. ii. 9. With his Camaradas, hee is to demeane himself sober, quiet, and friendly.
1599. Minsheu, Span. Dict., Camarado, a comerade … a camerado souldier.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, 160. Argent and his Comrado found a Canow. Ibid. (1626), Accid. Yng. Seamen, 7. Comorados [see COMRADE γ. quot. 1627].
1633. S. Marmyon, Fine Comp., I. vii. Oh uncle, that you should thus … traduce my camradoes.
1636. Healey, Theophrast., Obscenity, 47. He beggeth more [victuail] of his Camerado’s.
