Etymograph

English

amicable

Amicable comes from Late Latin amīcābilis ‘friendly’, from Latin amō ‘to love’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃- ‘to grab, to grasp, to seize, to take hold,…’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃emh₃-‘to grab, to grasp, to seize, to take hold, tackle, touch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*amāō‘to get hold of’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamō‘to love’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcus‘friendly, well-disposed, amicable’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEamīcābilis‘friendly’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amicable‘agreeable’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃emh₃-‘to grab, to grasp, to seize, to take hold, tackle, touch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*amāō‘to get hold of’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamō‘to love’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcus‘friendly, well-disposed, amicable’
  5. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEamīcābilis‘friendly’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amicable‘agreeable’
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Latin amō ‘to love’

amour, amenity, 20 more

through Latin amīcus ‘friendly, well-disposed, amicable’

enemy, enmity, amity, amigo, inimical, 5 more

through Late Latin amīcābilis ‘friendly’

amiable

Today it means

adj Showing friendliness or goodwill.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃- / amicable

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