English
amble
Amble comes from Old French ambler ‘walk as a horse does’, from Latin *alō ‘to wander’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂elh₂-‘to wander’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘to wander’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambulō‘to walk’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500amblar
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ambler‘walk as a horse does’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amblen‘to walk at an easy gait’
- Englishearliest quotation 1983amble
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂elh₂-‘to wander’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*alōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsame form‘to wander’reconstructed
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEambulō‘to walk’
- Old Occitanc. 950–1500amblar
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400ambler‘walk as a horse does’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amblen‘to walk at an easy gait’
- Englishearliest quotation 1983amble
Earliest quotation: 1983, Terry Pratchett: “The little man was ambling along in the middle…”
Linked words
through Latin *alō ‘to wander’
through Latin ambulō ‘to walk’
Today it means
noun An unhurried leisurely walk or stroll.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂elh₂- / amble