Today it’s used as a verb on social media; in previous centuries its meanings included an enemy & not a quaker

On the September 15, 2025 episode of Jeopardy!, the Final Jeopardy clue appeared in the category “Vocabulary” and read:

“Today it’s used as a verb on social media; in previous centuries its meanings included an enemy & not a quaker.”

What is “friend”?

At first glance, the idea of the word friend meaning “enemy” might sound contradictory. In today’s context, friend functions most commonly as a noun, and increasingly as a verb in the digital age—particularly on social media platforms like Facebook, where to “friend” someone means to add them to a contact list. This modern use is widespread and familiar.

However, the clue pointed backward through the centuries to a time when friend had a much broader range of meanings. During the Middle English and Early Modern English periods, friend could also refer to someone connected to another in opposition, such as in legal or combative settings. This more neutral or even adversarial use of friend may seem strange now, but it evolved from the idea of being “bound” to someone, whether in alliance or conflict.

Historical Usage: “Friend” as an Enemy?

In earlier English usage, especially before the 17th century, the word friend did not always carry the purely positive tone it holds today. One interpretation referred to a “foe-friend,” a person who pretended to be friendly while actually being an adversary—an early version of what might now be called a frenemy. In some texts, particularly legal documents or plays, friend could even be used to describe an opposing party, highlighting the complexity of the relationship rather than simply goodwill.

This layered usage ties back to the linguistic root of friend, which comes from the Old English frēond, derived from frēon, meaning “to love” or “to favor.” Yet, the social and legal context of earlier times allowed for uses where that connection was antagonistic rather than affectionate. The meaning gradually narrowed as the English language evolved, with “friend” eventually becoming strictly positive in mainstream use.

The Reference to “Not a Quaker”

The second part of the clue—“not a Quaker”—adds another historical angle. The Religious Society of Friends, more commonly known as Quakers, adopted the term Friend to describe their members. In this context, a “Friend” had a very specific religious connotation. So, by contrast, “not a Quaker” implies a different kind of friend—not religiously aligned, and in some historical usage, potentially hostile or unrelated entirely to the Quaker meaning. The clue subtly signals that the word once had a meaning far removed from both its modern social and religious associations.

This layered interpretation hints at the rich evolution of the term and how cultural and religious identity shaped language. The Quaker usage reinforced the positive, communal sense of the word friend, helping to solidify its current meaning in the centuries that followed.

From Adversary to Ally: The Evolution of “Friend”

By the time of Shakespeare, the word friend had already begun to solidify into its more modern sense, though traces of its broader historical meanings lingered in literary and regional dialects. The evolution from an ambiguous connection—possibly hostile—to a clearly supportive role reflects how language responds to changing societal norms and values.

Social media has added yet another layer. Now friend is also a verb, part of the digital lexicon, where to “friend” someone is to connect online—often superficially. The modern usage strips the word of nuance, favoring functionality over deep relational meaning. Still, the older complexities of the term offer a reminder that even familiar words can carry a long and surprising history.

Language, Identity, and the Power of Words

The Final Jeopardy clue from this episode offered more than a simple vocabulary test—it encouraged viewers to reflect on how words evolve with culture, law, religion, and technology. Friend serves as a case study in how meanings shift over time, adapting to new contexts while shedding older ones.

Understanding these linguistic transitions helps highlight the importance of context in interpretation. What once signified an opponent in court might now represent a click on a profile. It’s a subtle but powerful reminder of the fluidity of language—and why even the simplest words can carry centuries of change behind them.