# 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: /əˈmʊə/, /aˈmʊə/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (US) IPA: /əˈmʊɹ/, /ɑˈmʊɹ/, /-ˈmoɹ/
* Rhymes: -ʊə(ɹ)

### Noun

amour (countable and uncountable, plural amours)
* 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….
* 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:The amours of the greater scaup are, if anything, even more varied.
* 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:Makes you wonder how they were able to see their amours, or their hands...
* (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 (cf. Picard anmeur); there has probably been an influence from Old Occitan.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /a.muʁ/
* Audio (Paris):(file)
* Rhymes: -uʁ
* Homophone: amours

### Noun

amour m or f (plural amours)
* love
** 1931, “J’ai deux amours”, performed by Josephine Baker:J’ai deux amours / Mon pays et ParisI have two loves / My country and Paris
** 2008, Cécile Corbel (lyrics and music), “Where have you been”, in Songbook vol. 3 - renaissance‎ (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 youO 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: /aˈmuːr/, /ˈamur/

### Noun

amour (plural amours)
* love, affection
* (rare) friendliness, amicability
* (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)
* 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)
* (Jersey) love
** 1903, Edgar MacCulloch, “Proverbs, Weather Sayings, etc.”, in Guernsey Folk Lore‎, 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.