"A" Word Origins

amnion

Origin

From Latin amnion (“membrane around a fetus”), from Ancient Greek ἀμνίον (amníon).

amniotic

Greek

From the Greek word amnion, originally meaning a bowl used to collect sacrificial blood, later applied to the membrane surrounding an unborn animal.

amoeba

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek amoibe, "change" — a nod to how constantly the organism's shape shifts.

amoebiasis

Origin

From international scientific vocabulary, reflecting New Latin combining forms: amoeb- + -iasis.

amok

Portuguese · 1500

Borrowed via Portuguese from Malay amuk, "to attack in a murderous frenzy" — the term entered English descriptions of Southeast Asia as early as the 1500s.

among

Old English

From Old English onġemang, formed from "on" plus "ġemang" ("crowd, mixture") — literally "in the crowd of".

amongst

Origin

Formed by adding an extra "-t" ending to "amongs" (itself "among" plus a genitive "-s"), a common pattern in older English words like "against".

amontillado

Origin

Borrowed from Spanish amontillado.

Amor

Origin · 1221

Named after the first asteroid of this type discovered, 1221 Amor, itself named for the Roman god of love.

amora

Origin

From Hebrew אָמוֹרָא (āmorā), from Aramaic.

amoral

Origin

Built from the prefix "a-" ("not, without") plus "moral" — the opposite is "immoral", which implies actively doing wrong rather than simply lacking any moral compass.

amore

Italian

Italian for 'love', from Latin amor.

amorous

Latin

From Old French amoros, ultimately from Latin amor, "love".

amorphous

Greek

From Greek a- 'without' and morphē 'form'.

amortization

Old French

From Old French amortir 'to deaden, extinguish', ultimately from Latin ad- 'to' + mors, mortem 'death'.

Amory

Proto-Germanic

From Proto-Germanic *amal- ("vigor, bravery") + *rīks ("ruler").

Amos

Hebrew

From Biblical Hebrew עמוס (Amos, "to carry; a burden").

amound

Origin

From a- + mound, compare amass; possibly influenced by amount.

amount

Latin

From Old French amonter, "to go up, to add up to", from a mont, "toward a mountain" — from Latin ad montem, "to the mountain".

amour

Latin

From Old French amor, from Latin amor, "love".

amourette

Origin

From French amourette.

amoy

Origin

From the Postal Romanization of Hokkien 廈門 /厦门 (Ēe-mûi), specifically the Zhangzhou Hokkien dialect. Compare Spanish Emuy.

amparo

Spanish

From Spanish amparo, "protection, shelter".

amped

Origin

A shortened, informal form of "amplified".

amphetamine

Origin

A shortened blend of its full chemical name, alpha-methylphenethylamine.

amphibian

Greek

From Greek amphibios, "living a double life", from amphi- ("both") + bios ("life").

amphibiology

Origin

From amphibia + -ology.

amphibiotic

Origin

From amphi- + biotic.

amphibious

Greek

From Greek amphibios, from amphi- ("both") + bios ("life").

amphibole

Origin

From French amphibole, coined by René Just Haüy from Ancient Greek ἀμφίβολος (amphíbolos, “ambiguous”), in reference to its many forms.

amphiboly

Origin

From Old French amphibolie, from Latin amphibolia, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιβολία (amphibolía, “ambiguity”).

amphitheater

Greek

The American spelling of "amphitheatre", built from Greek amphi- ("on both sides") plus theatron ("place for viewing").

amphitheatre

Origin

From Latin amphitheatrum, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιθέατρον (amphithéatron) from ἀμφί (amphí, “on both sides”) + θέᾱτρον (théātron, “theatre”).

amphora

Latin

From Latin amphora, from Greek amphoreus, "two-handled jar" — literally "carried on both sides".

amphoric

Origin

From Latin amphoricus (“of or related to an amphora”), from amphora + -icus (“-ic: forming adj.”). Equivalent to amphora + -ic.

ample

Latin

From Middle French ample, from Latin amplus, "large, spacious".

amplect

Origin

From Latin amplector.

amplifier

Origin

From "amplify" plus the agent suffix "-er" — literally "the thing that amplifies".

amplify

Latin

From Latin amplificare, "to enlarge", from amplus ("ample") plus facere ("to make").

amplitude

Latin

From Latin amplitudo, from amplus 'large'.

amply

Origin

From "ample" plus the adverb suffix "-ly".

ampoule

Origin

Borrowed from French ampoule. Etymologically equivalent to amphora + -ule/-le. Doublet of ampulla.

amputate

Latin

From Latin amputare, "to cut away, prune" — originally used for trimming trees before it took on its modern surgical sense.

amputation

Latin

From Latin amputatio, "pruning" — from the same root as "amputate".

amputee

Origin

From French amputée, (past participle of amputer (“to amputate”)), from Latin amputatus, perfect passive participle of amputare (“to amputate”).

Amrita

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit amrta, "immortal" — from a- ("not") plus mrta ("dead").

Amritsar

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit अमृतसरस् (amṛtasaras), from अमृत (amṛta, "nectar") + सरस् (saras, "lake, pool").

Amsterdam

Dutch

Borrowed from Dutch Amsterdam.