ample | Words related to ample | Online Etymology Dictionary

Words related to ample

fem. proper name, from Old French Amee, literally "beloved," from fem. past participle of amer "to love," from Latin amare "to love, be in love with; find pleasure in," Proto-Italic *ama- "to take, hold," from a PIE root meaning "take hold of," also the source of Sanskrit amisi, amanti "take hold of; swear;" Avestan *ama- "attacking power;" Greek omnymi "to swear," anomotos "under oath;" Old Irish namae "enemy." According to de Vaan, "The Latin meaning has developed from 'to take the hand of' [to] 'regard as a friend'."

amplification (n.)

1540s, "enlargement" in any dimension, from Latin amplificationem (nominative amplificatio) "a widening, extending," noun of action from past-participle stem of amplificare "to enlarge, broaden, increase," from amplus "large" (see ample) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Originally in English often of rhetorical devices; meaning "enlargement of sound by electrical technology" is from 1915.

amplify (v.)

early 15c., "to enlarge, expand, increase," from Old French amplifier (15c.), from Latin amplificare "to enlarge," from amplus "large" (see ample) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Meaning "augment in volume or amount" is from 1570s. Restriction of use to sound seems to have emerged from c. 1915 in reference to radio technology.

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.

amply (adv.)

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

Words related to ample

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