amicus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [aˈmiː.kʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈmiː.kus]^[1]

Forms

amīcus m (genitive amīcī, feminine amīca); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin amō (“to love”) + -īcus; the adjective “friendly” is the original use.^[2][3] De Vaan suggests that the suffix -īcus may come from an instrumental in *-ih₁ with *-ko-, as in pudīcus and mendīcus.^[2][1] The verb is inherited from Proto-Italic *ama- (“to take, hold”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₃mh₃- (“to take hold of”), the meaning having developed from taking someone's hand to regarding as a friend.^[2] An old form ⟨amecus⟩ is reported by Festus.^[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates the noun from Naevius and the adjective from Plautus.^[2] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it was a personal friend and also a lover.^[3] In public life it was a political supporter, and in the plural a ruler's retinue, his courtiers and counsellors, amīcus populī Rōmānī was a title given to foreign kings and peoples.^[3] A philosopher's amīcī were his followers.^[3] The adjective meant friendly or well-disposed, politically supportive, loyal and dear.^[3] Döderlein notes that amīcus implies a calm affection returned by the other, unlike amāns and amātor.^[6]

In medieval Latin an amīcus was a freeman who had commended himself to a lord, and the amīcī rēgis were the great men around a king.^[7] It survives in Italian amico, Spanish amigo and French ami.^[1]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses the noun.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses the adjective and the noun “friend”.^[2][3][5]
• c. 50 BC – Caesar uses it of a king's counsellors.^[3][5]
• Middle Ages – It is used of a freeman under a lord's protection.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A friend.^[3]
2. A lover.^[3]
3. A political supporter, partisan, (plural) a ruler's courtiers, counsellors.^[3]
4. A friend of the Roman people (a title of foreign kings and peoples).^[3]
5. A follower, disciple.^[3]
6. (Medieval Latin) A freeman under a lord's protection.^[7]

Adjective

1. Friendly, well-disposed, amicable.^[3]
2. Politically supportive, (of states) friendly, allied.^[3]
3. Loyal, devoted; dear.^[3][1]

Word family

• amīcālis
• amīcōsus
• amīculus
• amīca
• amīcitia
• amīcitiēs
• inimīcus
• peramicus
• amīcābilis
• amīcē
• amīciter
• amīcō

Related words

• amō
• amor
• English amicable
• English enemy
• English amity

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
7. ^ a b c Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill