Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-8881468-20131229020408/@comment-8881468-20140108071357

a brotherhood has no religious context, it merely is a collection of equals.

etymologic dictionary ftw  (aka: a dictionary that gives you the history of a word, if you are niot familiar with the term)

"equivalent of Old English broþerrede "fellowship, brotherhood," with ending as in kindred; in early Middle English the word was brotherhede with ending as in maidenhead. The modern word, with -hood, is from 15c. Originally "relationship of a brother," also "friendly companionship." Concrete sense of "an association, a fraternity" is from mid-14c. in the Middle English word (later also "labor union," 1880s). Old English also had broðorscipe "brothership," broðorsibb "kinship of brothers.""