amour

See also: Amour

English

Alternative forms

• amor

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English amour, from Middle French amour, from Old French amor, from Latin amor.

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈmʊə/, /aˈmʊə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈmʊɹ/, /ɑˈmʊɹ/, /-ˈmoɹ/
• Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ)

Noun

amour (countable and uncountable, plural amours)

1. Courtship; flirtation.
   • 1925, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 4, in The Great Gatsby, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1953, →ISBN, →OCLC, pages 78–79:

     Perhaps Daisy never went in for amour at all—and yet there's something in that voice of hers….

2. A love affair.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, “A Dialogue between Mr. Jones and the Barber”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume III, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book VIII, page 180:

     Jones had mentioned the Fact of his Amour, and of his being the Rival of Blifil, but had cautiously concealed the Name of the young Lady.

   • 1990 October 26, Jerry Sullivan, “Field & Street”, in Chicago Reader‎^[1]:

     The amours of the greater scaup are, if anything, even more varied.

3. A lover.
   • 1845 April, Ned Buntline, “A Night-Adventure in Cuba”, in The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine, volume XXV, number 4, New York, N.Y.: […] John Allen, […], page 326:

     ‘Dulce, will you go to the masquerade-ball to night?’ said I to my lesser-half, on a bright evening during the gayest part of the ‘carnival season.’ / ‘No, my amor,’ answered she; ‘I am ill this evening; do n’t go out to-night, but stay by my side, and let your cheering presence save a doctor’s fee.’

   • 2000 December 29, James McManus, “The Winter Casino”, in Chicago Reader‎^[2]:

     Makes you wonder how they were able to see their amours, or their hands...

4. (obsolete) Love, affection.

Derived terms

• amourist

 

Related terms

• amorous
• amourette
• amour propre
• d'Amour
• enamour
• metamour
• paramour

 

Anagrams

• Morua, Omura

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French amour, from Old French amor, from Latin amor. The regular phonetic development would be ameur, attested in Old French; there has probably been an influence from Old Occitan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.muʁ/

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uʁ
• Homophone: amours

Noun

amour m or f (plural amours)

1. love
   • 1931, “J’ai deux amours”, performed by Josephine Baker:

     J’ai deux amours / Mon pays et Paris

     I have two loves / My country and Paris

   • 2008, Cécile Corbel (lyrics and music), “Where have you been”, in Songbook vol. 3 - renaissance‎^[3] (CD), Brittany: Keltia Musique:

     Ô mon Amour/ Mes pensées sont en voyage / Elles s’enroulent comme un ruban / O my love I’ve been searching / But I don’t know how / To find my way in the world without you

     O my Love / My thoughts are wandering / They wind like a ribbon / O my love I’ve been searching / But I don’t know how / To find my way in the world without you

Usage notes

• Though masculine when singular, the word amour is feminine when plural in the literary language; the same applies to délice and orgue.

Derived terms

• à tes amours
• à vos amours
• amour courtois
• amour de soi
• amour de vacances
• amour libre
• amour platonique
• amour-propre
• amoureux
• chagrin d’amour
• désamour
• d’Amour
• faire l’amour
• hautbois d’amour
• histoire d’amour
• lettre d’amour
• nid d’amour
• pomme d’amour
• pour l’amour de
• viole d’amour
• vivre d’amour et d’eau fraiche

 

Related terms

• à tes amours
• aimable
• aimer
• amant
• ami
• amical
• amitié
• amourette
• amoureux
• faire l’amour
• grand amour
• pomme d’amour

 

Further reading

• “amour”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• amoure, amur

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French amour, from Old French amor, from Latin amor.

Sense 3 could be due to the influence of Middle French ameur (“lover”), from Old French ameor, from Latin amātor, but may instead be a semantic development from the first two senses; compare love (“love, lover”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈmuːr/, /ˈamur/

Noun

amour (plural amours)

1. love, affection
2. (rare) friendliness, amicability
3. (rare) lover, paramour

Related terms

• amorette
• amorous
• enamoured
• paramour

Descendants

• English: amour, amor
• Middle Scots: amour

References

• “amǒur, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “amǒur, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French amor, from Latin amor.

Noun

amour m (plural amours)

1. love

Descendants

• French: amour
• → Middle English: amour, amoure, amur
  • English: amour, amor
  • Middle Scots: amour

Norman

Etymology

From Old French amor, from Latin amor.

Noun

amour m (plural amours)

1. (Jersey) love
   • 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎^[4], page 542:

     I' vit d'amour et de belles chànsons—coum' les alouettes de roques.

     He lives on love and fine songs—as larks do on stones.