Etymograph

English

amour

Amour comes from Middle French amour ‘love’, from Proto-Italic *amāō ‘to get hold of’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃-.

  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 CEamor‘love, affection, devotion’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400same form
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600amour‘love’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘love, affection’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1749same 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 CEamor‘love, affection, devotion’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400same form
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600amour‘love’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘love, affection’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1749same form

Earliest quotation: 1749, Henry Fielding, A Dialogue between Mr. Jones and the Barber: “Jones had mentioned the Fact of his Amour, and…”

The story

The modern pronunciation is due to continual French influence; the expected pronunciation would be /ˈæmə(ɹ)/; compare enamour, enamoured.

Linked words

through Latin amō ‘to love’

enemy, enmity, amicable, amity, amenity, inimical, 20 more

through Latin amor ‘love, affection, devotion’

amorous, 7 more

Today it means

noun Courtship; flirtation.

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

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

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