amica Latin · revision 6601

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Naevius|origins=la amō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [aˈmiː.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [aˈmiː.ka]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''amīca''' ''f'' (genitive amīcae, masculine amīcus); first declension^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is the feminine of [[amīcus]] “friend”, from [[amō]] “to love”.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's first citation for “mistress” is Naevius, and for “female friend” Plautus.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It meant a female friend, as in Plautus, and a mistress, sweetheart or courtesan, as in Naevius and Cicero.^(OLD 2012)^(Gaffiot 2016) The grammarian Probus gives a dative and ablative plural ''amīcābus'', without examples.^(Gaffiot 2016)

+

+ It survives in Italian ''amica'', French ''amie'' and Spanish and Portuguese ''amiga''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it of a mistress.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of a female friend.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a mistress.^(Gaffiot 2016)^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A female [[m|en|friend]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # A [[m|en|mistress]], sweetheart; a courtesan.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[amicarius]]

+ * [[amīcula]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[amīcus]]

+ * [[amō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}