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amicitia

Etymology and origin of the Latin word amicitia

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (amō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [a.miːˈkɪ.ti.a][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [a.miˈt͡ʃit.t͡si.a][1]

Forms

amīcitia f (genitive amīcitiae); first declension[1]

Etymology

It is from amīcus “friend” with the suffix -ia, and ⟨amīcus⟩ is from amō “to love”.[2][1][3] An inscription spells it ⟨ameic-⟩.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, of friendship.[2] Köbler's first source is Lucretius.[4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant friendship, the bond between friends, as in Cicero's treatise on friendship and his phrases amīcitiam contrahere “to form a friendship”, a particular friendship, and concretely friends.[2][5] It meant friendly relations between states or rulers, as in Cicero, and an affinity between plants or things.[2] Lucretius has the genitive amīcitiāī and accusative amīcitiem.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant friendship, league, and amīcitia mundī worldliness.[7][8] In Medieval Latin it meant a sworn association, a commune, the giving up of a feud, and a friendly settlement.[9][8] Through Vulgar Latin *amīcitās it is the source of Old French amistie, whence English amity in the mid-15th century.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of friendship.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it.[4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of friendship and of relations between states.[2][5][4]
  • mid-15th century – English amity is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Friendship.[2]
  2. A friendship; friends.[2]
  3. Friendly relations (between states).[2]
  4. Affinity.[2]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A sworn association; a commune.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
Cite this entry

“Amicitia.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/amicitia. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·