Etymograph

English

amity

Amity comes from Old French amisté, from Vulgar Latin *amīcitātem ‘friendship’, and ultimately from Latin amō ‘love’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamō‘love’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcus‘friend’
  3. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*amīcitātem‘friendship’reconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400amisté
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amite
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1922amity

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamō‘love’
  2. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcus‘friend’
  3. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*amīcitātem‘friendship’reconstructed
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400amisté
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500amite
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1922amity

Earliest quotation: 1922, Thomas Hardy, Welcome Home: “To my native place ¶ Bent upon returning, ¶…”

Linked words

through Latin amō ‘love’

amour, amenity, 20 more

through Latin amīcus ‘friend’

enemy, amicable, amiable, amigo, enmity, inimical, 5 more

Today it means

noun Friendship; friendliness.

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

Etymograph / Latin amō / amity

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