Etymologically
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amorosus

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Forms

amorōsus (feminine amorōsa, neuter amorōsum, comparative amorōsior, superlative amorōsissimus); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Latin amor (“love”) + -ōsus (“full of”).[1][2] Wiktionary takes the medieval word, which appears from the thirteenth century, to be borrowed from the Romance languages, where Vulgar Latin *amōrōsus had lived on in speech.[1] Etymonline instead derives Old French amoros from a Late Latin form.[3]

English amorous comes from the Old French word.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Wiktionary dates it from the thirteenth century, when it meant “amorous”.[1]

Semantic evolution

It meant loving, affectionate and gentle; then graceful and beautiful; dear and lovable; and amatory, belonging to love.[4][5] Du Cange quotes the Lenten sermons of Menot, where God is “curious and loving” about our salvation, and the Genoese annals, where it means lovable.[6] Hungarian preachers called Jesus amorosissimus, “most loving”.[7]

In Neo-Latin Ramminger records it in Benvenuto da Imola's commentary on Dante, of the young Pyramus, and in Nicholas of Cusa and Luther.[8]

Timeline

  • 13th century – First recorded in Medieval Latin.[1]
  • c. 1300 – English has amorous, from Old French.[3]
  • after 1327 – It is found in British sources.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. (Medieval Latin) Loving, affectionate, gentle.[4][7][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Graceful, beautiful.[4]
  3. (Medieval Latin) Dear, beloved, lovable.[4][7][6]
  4. (Medieval Latin) Of love, amatory; in love, amorous.[4][1][5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences
  6. ^ a b du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  7. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
  8. ^ Ramminger, Johann, Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, www.neulatein.de