English → Latin
“affection” in Latin
amorlove, affection, devotion (for a person, one's family, one's country); strong and passionate longing for something, desicareōto lack, be without. (usually with ablative), to be deprived of; to be separated frompietāsdutiful conduct, sense of duty and responsibility; piety, conscientiousness, scrupulousness; duty, dutifulness, affectiobenevolentiakindnessstudiumstudy; eagerness, zeal; desire, fancyvoluntāswill, free will, choice; desire, inclination; disposition towards (something or someone)indulgeōto be kind or courteous (to); to be inclined (to); give free rein (to); to give oneself up (to); to be addicted (to), inaffectiōThe relation or disposition towards something produced in a person.; A change in the state of the body or mind of a persafficiōto cause someone to experience something; to visit, inflict, bestow; to treat, manage, handle; to influence, have an effperturbōto confuse; to disturb or perturb, trouble or alarm
The English word affection itself goes back to Latin faciō, through affectiōnem.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
affection
love, etc., amor (general term, but especially a passionate love): caritas (any tender, unsensual affection; especially that of parents toward their children: not used of things, except country, patriae or erga patriam, reipublicae): pietas (dutiful affection, natural affection; e.g., affection toward the gods, one’s relations, country, etc.): benevolentia (goodwill): studium, voluntas (inclination, liking for): indulgentia (indulgent affection, overlooking offences, faults, etc.). In post-Augustan prose, affectio (Plin., Tac., etc.); affectus (Tac., Suet., Quint.). Affection toward or for anybody, amor in, erga, adversus aliquem; also amor alicujus; pietas, benevolentia, voluntas, in or erga aliquem: studium in aliquem; also alicujus. Maternal affection, materni amoris cura: fraternal affection, fraternus amor in aliquem. To love anybody with extraordinary affection, singulari amore aliquem amare; aliquem in deliciis habere; summum me tenet alicujus studium. To gain anybody’s affection, alicujus amorem, benevolentiam, voluntatem sibi conciliare. To cherish anybody’s affection, alicujus amorem fovere; alicujus caritatem retinere. From affection, propter amorem, or benevolentiam; amore impulsus, incitatus, ex amore: from pure affection, ipsa aliqua re captus: for affection, prae amore.
Affection for a thing, amor, studium alicujus rei. To have an affection for anything, alicujus rei esse amantem, studiosum, appetentem, cupidum; alicujus rei studio teneri, captum esse: sometimes aliquid petere, concupiscere. [Vid: INCLINATION.]
A state produced in a body or mind, affectio (generally of a temporary state, but also of a permanent one; e.g., affectio animi constans, Cic.., διάθεσις ψυχῆς): (animi) affectus (in the best prosa writers only, state or disposition of mind; but in of Quint. = πἁθος; and in plur., “the affections” generally; also, affection of body, Cels.).
Passion of any kind, affectio, affectus (see just before): animi concitatio: animi impetus: (stronger) animi perturbatio: motus an imi turbatus or perturbatus (violent emotion: animi affectio, the state or disposition: animi motus, commotio, or permotio, emotion of the mind generally). A temporary affection, temporarius animi motus (Vid: Quint., 5, 10, 28). Vehement or violent affection, acerrimus animi motus; vehemens animi impetus. Vid: PASSION.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for affection?
- The usual Latin words for “affection” are amor, careō, pietās; also benevolentia, studium, voluntās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.