"one who has been given authority to manage," mid-15c., administratour, from Old French administrateur or directly from Latin administrator "a manager, conductor," agent noun from past-participle stem of administrare "to manage, control, superintend" (see administer). The estate sense is earliest. For ending, see -er.
mid-15c., "worthy of admiration," from Latin admirabilis "admirable, wonderful," from admirari "to admire" (see admire). In early years it also carried a stronger sense of "awe-inspiring, marvelous."
c. 1200, amiral, admirail, "Saracen commander or chieftain," from Old French amirail (12c.) "Saracen military commander; any military commander," ultimately from medieval Arabic amir "military commander," probably via Medieval Latin use of the word for "Muslim military leader."
Amiral de la mer "commander of a fleet of ships" is in late 13c. Anglo-French documents. Meaning "highest-ranking naval officer" in English is from early 15c. The extension of the word's meaning from "commander on land" to "commander at sea" likely began in 12c. Sicily with Medieval Latin amiratus and then spread to the continent, but the word also continued to mean "Muslim military commander" in Europe in the Middle Ages. The Arabic word was later Englished as emir.
As amīr is constantly followed by -al- in all such titles, amīr-al- was naturally assumed by Christian writers as a substantive word, and variously Latinized .... [OED]
Also in Old French and Middle English the word was further conformed to familiar patterns as amirauld, amiraunt. The unetymological -d- probably is from influence of Latin ad-mirabilis (see admire). Italian form almiraglio, Spanish almirante are from confusion with Arabic words in al-. As the name of a type of butterfly from 1720, according to OED possibly a corruption of admirable.
"naval branch of the English executive," early 15c., admiralte, from Old French amiralte, from amirail (see admiral).
early 15c., "wonder," from Old French admiration "astonishment, surprise" (14c., corrected from earlier amiracion), or directly from Latin admirationem (nominative admiratio) "a wondering at, admiration," noun of state from past-participle stem of admirari "regard with wonder, be astonished," from ad "to; with regard to" (see ad-) + mirari "to wonder," from mirus "wonderful" (see miracle). The sense has gradually weakened since 16c. toward "high regard, esteem."
early 15c. (implied in admired), "regard with wonder, marvel at," from Old French admirer "look upon, contemplate" (correcting earlier amirer, 14c.), or directly from Latin admirari "regard with wonder, be astonished," from ad "to, with regard to" (see ad-) + mirari "to wonder," from mirus "wonderful" (see smile (v.)). The sense has gradually weakened toward "regard with pleasure and esteem," but for a time they overlapped.
Doe not admire why I admire :
My fever is no other's fire :
Each severall heart hath his desire ;
Els proof is false, and truth a lier.
[Campion, "And would You Faine the Reason Knowe," in "Rosseter's Booke of Ayres Part II," 1601]
Related: Admiring; admiringly.
"one who admires," c. 1600, agent noun from admire (v.). From 1704 in the colloquial sense of "one who pays court to (a woman), a lover." The Latin agent noun was admirator.
"quality of being admissible," 1763, from admissible + -ity. Perhaps modeled on French admissibilité (by 1670s).
