c. 1200, feolahschipe "companionship," from fellow + -ship. Sense of "a body of companions" is from late 13c. Meaning "spirit of comradeship, friendliness" is from late 14c. As a state of privilege in English colleges, from 1530s. In Middle English it was at times a euphemism for "sexual intercourse" (carnal fellowship).
To fellowship with is to hold communion with; to unite with in doctrine and discipline. This barbarism now appears with disgusting frequency in the reports of ecclesiastical conventions, and in the religious newspapers generally. [Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1848]
But Chaucer and Wyclif used it as a verb in Middle English, "to have fellowship with."
"Christian fellowship," 1865, Greek, literally "communion, fellowship," from koinos "common, ordinary" (see coeno-).
1829, "fellowship, association," from Latin consortium "fellowship, participation, society," from consors (genitive consortis; see consort (n.1)). Earlier, in British law, it was a term for "right of husband's access to his wife" and is attested from 1650s as a Latin word in English.
"companionship, good-fellowship," 1840, from French camaraderie, from camarade "comrade" (see comrade).
1640s, from French socialité or directly from Latin socialitas "fellowship, sociableness," from socialis (see social (adj.)).
"companionship, fellowship, association with others," c. 1600, from French sodalité or directly from Latin sodalitatem (nominative sodalitas) "companionship, a brotherhood, association, fellowship," from sodalis "companion," perhaps literally "one's own, relative," related to suescere "to accustom," from PIE *swedh-, extended form of root *s(w)e-, pronoun of the third person and reflexive (see idiom). Especially of religious guilds in the Catholic Church.
