Word: mendicant (noun, adjective)

Associations

The word "mendicant" is often used to describe a person who begs for money or food, usually because they are poor or homeless. It can also refer to religious monks who live by begging, especially in some Christian traditions.

• Example 1: The mendicant sat on the street corner, asking for spare change. (A poor person begging.)
• Example 2: Mendicant friars travel from town to town, relying on charity. (Religious monks who beg for support.)
• Example 3: The city has many mendicants who depend on the kindness of strangers. (General use for beggars.)

Synonym: "beggar" is the most common synonym. The difference is that "mendicant" can sound more formal or old-fashioned and sometimes has a religious meaning, while "beggar" is more general and everyday.

Substitution

You can replace "mendicant" with:

• beggar (more common, less formal)
• panhandler (specifically someone who asks for money in public)
• supplicant (more formal, someone who asks humbly, not always for money)
• friar (if referring to religious mendicants)

Using "beggar" instead of "mendicant" makes the sentence simpler but less formal or religious.

Deconstruction

• Root: from Latin "mendicant-", meaning "begging"
• Prefix: none
• Suffix: "-ant" means "one who does" (like a person who performs an action) So, "mendicant" literally means "one who begs."

Historically, mendicant orders (like Franciscans) were groups of monks who lived by begging instead of owning property.

Inquiry

• Can you think of situations where you might see a mendicant in a story or movie?
• How would you describe a mendicant differently if they were a religious person versus just someone asking for money?
• Have you ever met or seen someone who could be called a mendicant? How did that make you feel?