verbfirst conjugation
amō
amō (present infinitive amāre, perfect active amāvī, supine amātum)
Classical[ˈa.moː]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.mo]
amāvisset 3rd sg. plupf. act. subj.№ 219 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- transitiveto love
ita mē dī ament/amābunt!
so may god love me!, blessed be me!Tū mē amās, egō tē amō; meritō id fierī uterque exīstumat.
You love me, I love you; and each of us believes it to be well-deserved.c. 200 BCE, Plautus, Mostellaria 1.3.146 - to be fond of, like, admire
- transitiveto be pleased by or with (someone or something) for (a particular reason); to derive pleasure from or for, delight in or for
[…]hīc magnōs potius triumphōs, hīc amēs dīcī pater atque prī̆nceps, neu sinās Mēdōs equitāre inultōs // tē duce, Caesar.
[…] rather, may you delight in these great triumphs, to be called father and the first man (of state), and may you not allow the Medes to ride unpunished while you lead, Caesar.17 BCE, Horatius, Carmen Saeculare - reflexiveto be pleased (with oneself), to be content
- poeticpost Augustanto do a thing willingly, to like, to be accustomed (to), enjoy an activity
- to be thankful, grateful to, feel obliged for a service
Ō Thāis mea, meum sāvium, quid agitur? Ecquid nōs amās dē fīdīcinā istāc?
O Thais, my sweetie, what's happening? Are you grateful to us for that harpist?c. 185 BCE – 159 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, The EunuchBene facis, meritō tē amō.
You're very kind, I'm rightly obliged to you.c. 160 BCE, Publius Terentius Afer, The Brothers - transitiveto make love
Near-synonyms: comprimō, coeō, dūcō, (vulgar) futuō
[dicatque] se amare velle atque obsequi animo suo
c. 194 BCE, Plautus, Poenulus 176
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
cārum habeō; māter fīliōs amat.amō -āre — in Mille Verba, Animus et Adfectūs
love
amō -āre — in De Bello Gallico I and De Bello Gallico III
loves
amat — in Seneca, ch. II
Conjugation conjugation 1
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | amō | amābam | amābō | amāvī | amāveram amāram | amāverō amārō |
| 2nd sg. | amās | amābās | amābis | amāvistī amāstī | amāverās amārās | amāveris amāris |
| 3rd sg. | amat | amābat | amābit | amāvit amāt | amāverat amārat | amāverit amārit |
| 1st pl. | amāmus | amābāmus | amābimus | amāvimus amāmus | amāverāmus amārāmus | amāverimus amārimus |
| 2nd pl. | amātis | amābātis | amābitis | amāvistis amāstis | amāverātis amārātis | amāveritis amāritis |
| 3rd pl. | amant | amābant | amābunt | amāvērunt amārunt, amāvēre | amāverant amārant | amāverint amārint |
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | amem | amārem | amāverim amārim | amāvissem amāssem |
| 2nd sg. | amēs | amārēs | amāverīs amārīs | amāvissēs amāssēs |
| 3rd sg. | amet | amāret | amāverit amārit | amāvisset amāsset |
| 1st pl. | amēmus | amārēmus | amāverīmus amārīmus | amāvissēmus amāssēmus |
| 2nd pl. | amētis | amārētis | amāverītis amārītis | amāvissētis amāssētis |
| 3rd pl. | ament | amārent | amāverint amārint | amāvissent amāssent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | amor | amābar | amābor |
| 2nd sg. | amāris amāre | amābāris amābāre | amāberis amābere |
| 3rd sg. | amātur | amābātur | amābitur |
| 1st pl. | amāmur | amābāmur | amābimur |
| 2nd pl. | amāminī | amābāminī | amābiminī |
| 3rd pl. | amantur | amābantur | amābuntur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | amer | amārer |
| 2nd sg. | amēris amēre | amārēris amārēre |
| 3rd sg. | amētur | amārētur |
| 1st pl. | amēmur | amārēmur |
| 2nd pl. | amēminī | amārēminī |
| 3rd pl. | amentur | amārentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | amā | amāre |
| pres. 2nd pl. | amāte | amāminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | amātō | amātor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | amātō | amātor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | amātōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | amantō | amantor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | amāre | amārī |
| perfect infinitive | amāvisse amāsse | amātum esse |
| future infinitive | amātūrum esse | amātum īrī |
| present participle | amāns | — |
| perfect participle | — | amātus |
| future participle | amātūrus | amandus |
gerundamandī, amandō, amandumsupineamātum, amātū
Lewis & Short A Latin Dictionary, 1879
ămo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (amāsso = amavero, Plaut. Cas. 5, 4, 23; id. Curc. 4, 4, 22; id. Mil. 4, 2, 16; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 28 Müll.:
I.
amāsse = amavisse, Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 11: amantum = amantium, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 4; Lucr. 4, 1077; Ov. A. A. 1, 439) [cf. Sanscr. kam = to love; ἅμα = Sanscr. sam = Germ. sammt; Engl. same, Lat. similis; with the radical notion of likeness, union], to like, to love, ἐράω, φιλέω (both in the higher and the lower sense, opp. odisse; while diligere (ἀγαπῶ) designates esteem, regard; opp. neglegere or spernere; cf. Doed. Syn. IV. p. 97; in the high sense in the philos. writings and Epp. of Cicero; often in the low sense, esp. in the comic poets. In the Vulg. amo and amor are comparatively little used, prob. from their bad associations, amo being used 51 times and amor 20. Instead of these words, diligo, dilectio and caritas were used. Diligo (incl. dilectus) occurs 422 times, and dilectio and caritas 144 times in all; dilectio 43 and caritas 101 times). I. In gen.:
quid autem est amare, nisi velle bonis aliquem adfici, quam maximis, etiamsi ad se ex iis nihil redeat, Cic. Fin. 2, 24: amare autem nihil aliud est, nisi eum ipsum diligere, quem ames, nullā indigentiā, nullā utilitate quaesitā, id. Am. 27, 100: videas corde amare (eos) inter se, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 60; Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 42: liberi amare patrem atque matrem videntur, Gell. 12, 1, 23: qui amat patrem aut matrem, Vulg. Matt. 6, 5: ipse Pater amat vos, h. l. used of God, ib. Joan. 16, 27: Cicerones pueri amant inter se, love each other, Cic. Att. 6, 1: magis te quam oculos nunc amo meos, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 67: quem omnes amare meritissimo debemus, Cic. de Or. 1, 55, 234.—So, amare aliquem ex animo, to love with all one's heart, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 5: unice patriam et cives, id. Cat. 3, 5: aliquem amore singulari, id. Fam. 15, 20: sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, Vulg. 2 Reg. 1, 26: dignus amari, Verg. E. 5, 89.—Amare in ccntr. with diligere, as stronger, more affectionate: Clodius valde me diligit, vel, ut ἐμφατικώτερον dicam, valde me amat, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 1; id. Fam. 9, 14: eum a me non diligi solum, verum etiam amari, id. ib. 13, 47; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 421, 30 (Orell. IV. 2, p. 466); Plin. Ep. 3, 9.—But diligere, as indicative of esteem, is more emph. than amare, which denotes an instinctive or affectionate love: non quo quemquam plus amem, aut plus diligam, Eo feci, sed, etc., Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 16: homo nobilis, qui a suis et amari et diligi vellet, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23: te semper amavi dilexique, have loved and esteemed, id. Fam. 15, 7: diligis (ἀγαπᾷς) me plus his? Etiam, Domine, tu scis quia amo (φιλῶ) te, Vulg. Joan. 21, 15 sqq., ubi v. Alford, Gr. Test. al.—Hence in asseverations: ita (sic) me dii (bene) ament or amabunt, so may the gods love me, by the love of the gods, most assuredly: ita me di amabunt, etc., Plaut. Poen. 1, 3, 30 (v. the pass. in its connection): ita me di ament, credo, Ter. And. 5, 4, 44: non, ita me di bene ament, id. Hec. 2, 1, 9: sic me di amabunt, ut, etc., id. Heaut. 3, 1, 54.—Hence also ellipt.: ita me Juppiter! (sc. amet or amabit), Plaut. Poen. 1, 3, 31 (so in Engl. with different ellipsis, bless me! sc. God).—And as a salutation: Me. Salvus atque fortunatus, Euclio, semper sies. Eu. Di te ament, Me gadore, the gods bless you! Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 6 al.—II. Esp.
A. Amare se, of vain men, to be in love with, to be pleased with one's self, also, to be selfish (used mostly by Cic.):
quam se ipse amans sine rivali! Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 8: nisi nosmet ipsos valde amabimus, id. Off. 1, 9, 29; so id. Att. 4, 16 med.; id. Har. Resp. 9: homines se ipsos amantes, Vulg. 2 Tim. 3, 2.—B. Of unlawful love, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 30:
ut videas eam medullitus me amare! id. Most. 1, 3, 86 et saep.: meum gnatum rumor est amare, Ter. And. 1, 2, 14; 1, 2, 20 al.: ibi primum insuevit exercitus populi Romani amare, potare, etc., Sall. C. 11, 6: quae (via) eo me solvat amantem, Verg. A. 4, 479: non aequo foedere amare, id. ib. 4, 520; Hor. S. 2, 3, 250 Heind.; Vulg. Jud. 16, 4; ib. 2 Reg. 13, 4 al. —C. Trop., to love a thing, to like, to be fond of, to find pleasure in, delight in:
nomen, orationem, vultum, incessum alicujus amare, Cic. Sest. 49, 105: amavi amorem tuum, id. Fam. 9, 16: Alexidis manum amabam, id. Att. 7, 2: amabat litteras, Nep. Att. 1, 2: ea, quae res secundae amant, lasciviā atque superbiā incessere, Sall. J. 41, 3: amare nemus et fugere urbem, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 77: amat bonus otia Daphnis, Verg. E. 5, 61: non omnes eadem mirantur amantque, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 58: mirā diversitate naturā, cum īdem homines sic ament inertiam et oderint quietem, Tac. G. 15: pax et quies tunc tantum amata, id. ib. 40: qui amant vinum et pinguia, Vulg. Prov. 21, 17: amant salutationes in foro, ib. Luc. 20, 46: amat Janua limen, loves to remain shut, i. e. is constantly closed, Hor. C. 1, 25, 3; so, Nilus amet alveum suum, keep to its bed, Plin. Pan. 31, 4 al.—With inf. as object: hic ames dici pater atque princeps, Hor. C. 1, 2, 50: amant in synagogis orare, Vulg. Matt. 6, 5.—D. Amare aliquem de or in aliquā re, quod, etc., to like one for something, to be obliged to one for something, to be under obligation, be thankful.
a. With de:
ecquid nos amas De fidicinā istac? Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 3: de raudusculo multum te amo, Cic. Att. 7, 2, 7.—b. With in:
et in Attilii negotio te amavi, Cic. Fam. 13, 62.—c. With quod:
te multum amamus, quod, etc., Cic. Att. 1, 3: amas me, quod te non vidi? Domit. Afer. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 93.—Also without prep. or quod: soror, parce, amabo. Anter. Quiesco. Adelph. Ergo amo te, I like you, am much obliged to you, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 40: bene facis: Merito te amo, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 23.—Hence in the eilipt. lang. of conversation, amabo or amabo te (never amabo vos, etc.), lit. I shall like you (if you say, do, etc., that for me).—Hence in entreaties = oro, quaeso, precor (with ut or ne foll.), be so good, I pray, entreat you (in Plaut. and Ter. very freq.; in the latter always amabo without te; in Cic. only in Epistt.): quis hic, amabo, est, qui, etc., Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 26: qui, amabo? id. Bacch. 1, 1, 19: quid, amabo, obticuisti? id. ib. 1, 1, 28 et saep.: id, amabo, adjuta me, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 70: id agite, amabo, id. ib. 1, 2, 50 al.; Cat. 32, 1: id, amabo te, huic caveas, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 10; id. Men. 4, 3, 4: amabo te, advola, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 10: cura, amabo te, Ciceronem nostrum, id. Att. 2, 2.—With ut or ne foll.: scin quid te amabo ut facias? Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 71; 3, 3, 1: amabo, ut illuc transeas, Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 31: amabo te, ne improbitati meae assignes, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 4.—E. With inf., to do a thing willingly, to be wont or accustomed to (cf. φιλέω; mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose):
clamore, vultu, saepe impetu, atque aliis omnibus, quae ira fieri amat, delights to have done, is wont to do, Sall. J. 34, 1; cf. Quint. 9, 3, 17: aurum per medios ire satellites Et perrumpere amat saxa potentius Ictu fulmineo, Hor. C. 3, 16, 9; so id. ib. 2, 3, 9; id. Epod. 8, 15; Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 28; Tac. A. 4, 9.—Hence, ămans, antis, P. a., with gen. or absol. A. Fond, loving, kind, feeling kindly to, benevolent, pleasing; and subst., a friend, patron:
continentem, amantem uxoris maxime, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 7: veterem amicum suum studiosum, amantem, observantem sui, Cic. Rab. Post. 16: homines amantes tui, id. Fam. 9, 6: cives amantes patriae, id. Att. 9, 19; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 5: amans cruoris, Ov. P. 2, 9, 46: ad nos amantissimos tui veni, Cic. Fam. 16, 7: Amantissimus Domini habitabit in eo, Vulg. Deut. 33, 12; ib. Amos, 5, 11: amantissima eorum non proderunt iis, their most pleasant things, ib. Isa. 44, 9; so ib. Os. 9, 16.—B. Trop., of things, friendly, affectionate:
nomen amantius indulgentiusque, Cic. Clu. 5: lenissimis et amantissimis verbis utens, id. Fam. 5, 15 al.—C. Sometimes in a bad sense = amator or amica, a paramour; cf. Wolf ad Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 27; cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 38:
quis fallere possit amantem, Verg. A. 4, 296; 4, 429: amantium irae amoris integratio est, Ter. And. 3, 3, 23: oblitos famae melioris amantīs, Verg. A. 4, 221: perjuria amantūm, Ov. A. A. 1, 633.— Hence, ămanter, adv., lovingly, affectionately, Cic. Fam. 5, 19; id. Att. 2, 4.—Comp., Tac. A. 1, 43.—Sup., Cic. Am. 1.Origins
Perhaps inherited from Proto-Italic *amāō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃- (“to take hold of”). Schrijver alternatively proposes that the term reflects an *ē-stative formed to a root present, adducing as evidence amor (“love”). Formations in -or are otherwise rare beside ā-verbs, but are common beside second conjugation stative verbs.
Insular Romance
- Sardinianamai
- Sardinianamare
Southern Gallo-Romance
- Catalanamar
- Occitanaimar
Ibero-Romance
- Portugueseamarfrom Old Galician-Portuguese amar
- Spanishamarfrom Old Spanish amar
- Aragoneseaimar
- Mozarabicامار
- Galicianamarfrom Old Galician-Portuguese amar
- Asturianamar
- Extremaduranamal
- Leoneseamare
- Mirandeseamar
- Ladinoamarfrom Old Spanish amar
Italo-Dalmatian
- Italianamare
- Corsicanamà
- Dalmatianamur
- Istriotamà
- Neapolitanammare
- Sicilianamari
- Venetanamar
Northern Gallo-Romance
- Frenchaimerfrom Old French amer
- Franco-Provençalamar
- Louisiana Creolelinméfrom Old French amer
- Saint Dominican Creole Frenchhaiméfrom Old French amer
- Normanaimerfrom Old French amer
Rhaeto-Romance
- Friulianamâ
- Romanshamar