Bredren
A close friend or brother — a term of real loyalty and trust, above casual friendship.
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How it's used
This is relationship vocabulary — how people in the GTA refer to friends, crews, and showing respect.
“That's my bredren, known him since grade school.”
Where it comes from
Origin: Jamaican Patois for close friend / brother. It's one of many Toronto terms that trace back to Jamaican Patois, brought into the city through Toronto's Caribbean communities. Read the fuller story in our history of Toronto slang.
Sources
This entry was compiled through general research into Toronto/GTA slang rather than one single citable source — see the full bibliography in SOURCES.md and the wider context in our history of Toronto slang.
This word is a possible Torontle answer — the Wordle-style game built from this dictionary.
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