amp | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

32 entries found.

"fully, sufficiently, copiously," 1550s, from ample + -ly (2).

1580s, from Latin amphibrachus, from Greek amphibrakhys, name for a foot consisting of a long syllable between two short, literally "short at both ends," from amphi "on both sides" (see amphi-) + brakhys "short" (from PIE root *mregh-u- "short"). Related: Amphibrachic.

amplitude (n.)

1540s, "state or quality of being ample," from French amplitude or directly from Latin amplitudinem (nominative amplitudo) "wide extent, width," from amplus "large, spacious" (see ample). Amplitude modulation in reference to radio wave broadcast (as opposed to frequency modulation) first attested 1921, usually abbreviated A.M. Related: Amplitudinous.

amphibian (n.)

"one of the class of animals between fishes and reptiles, having gills and living in water in the early stage of life, later living on land," 1835; from amphibian (adj.). Amphibia was used in this sense from c. 1600.

Amphitrite

Greek sea-nymph, wife of Poseidon; the first element appears to be amphi "round about, on both sides, all around" (see amphi-), the second trite, fem of tritos "third," but the sense intended by the compound is unclear.

amphi-

before a vowel amph-, word-forming element meaning "on both sides, of both kinds; on all sides, all around," from Greek amphi (prep., adv.) "round about, on both sides of, all around; about, regarding," which is cognate with Latin ambi-, both from PIE root *ambhi- "around."

amphitheater (n.)

late 14c., from Latin amphitheatrum, from Greek amphitheatron "double theater, amphitheater," neuter of amphitheatros "with spectators all around," from amphi "on both sides" (from PIE root *ambhi- "around") + theatron "theater" (see theater). Classical theaters were semi-circles, thus two together made an amphi-theater. They were used by the Romans especially for gladiatorial contests and combats of wild beasts.

amperage (n.)

strength of an electric current, 1889, from ampere on model of voltage; see -age.

amphitheatre (n.)

chiefly British English spelling of amphitheater. See -er.

amphoteric (adj.)

of a chemical compound, "capable of reacting either as an acid or as a base," 1832, from Greek amphoteros "each or both of two," a variant of ampho "both" that replaced the earlier word. It is identical with Latin ambo and ultimately from the source of amphi- (q.v.). Other languages have the word without the nasal (Old Church Slavonic oba, Lithuanian abu) and Germanic has it without the initial vowel (Gothic bai). De Vaan writes, "There is no overall explanation for the forms, but connection with [amphi] seems clear."

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