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Origin and history of amable

amable(adj.)

early 15c., "friendly, courteous," from Old French amable "loving; worthy of love, amicable, pleasant," from Latin amabilem "lovely," from amare "to love" (see Amy). Related: Amably; amability.

Entries linking to amable

fem. proper name, from Old French Amee, literally "beloved," from fem. past participle of amer "to love," from Latin amare "to love, be in love with; find pleasure in," Proto-Italic *ama- "to take, hold," from a PIE root meaning "take hold of," also the source of Sanskrit amisi, amanti "take hold of; swear;" Avestan *ama- "attacking power;" Greek omnymi "to swear," anomotos "under oath;" Old Irish namae "enemy." According to de Vaan, "The Latin meaning has developed from 'to take the hand of' [to] 'regard as a friend'."

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