amiable

English

WOTD – 6 December 2011    

Etymology

Middle English amyable, from Old French amiable, from Late Latin amīcābilis (“friendly”), from Latin amīcus (“friend”), from amō (“I love”). The meaning has been influenced by French aimable, Latin amābilis (“loveable”). Compare with amicable, amorous, amability.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈeɪ.mi.ə.bəl/, /ˈæ.mi.ə.bəl/

Adjective

amiable (comparative more amiable, superlative most amiable)

1. Friendly; kind; sweet; gracious; as, an amiable temper or mood; amiable ideas.
   • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 3, The Younger Set^[1]:

     A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

2. Possessing sweetness of disposition; having sweetness of temper; kindhearted; which causes one to be liked; as, an amiable person.
   • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 3, The Younger Set^[2]:

     A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

Usage notes

• See amicable.

Synonyms

• likable

Derived terms

amiability amiableness amiably

Related terms

amicable amity

Translations

friendly as an amiable temper or mood

• Bulgarian: мил (bg) (mil), любезен (bg) (ljubezen), приветлив (bg) (privetliv), дружелюбен (bg) (druželjuben)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 友好 (cmn) (yǒuhǎo), 藹然 (cmn), 蔼然 (cmn) (ǎirán), (formal) 友善 (cmn) (yǒushàn)

• Danish: elskværdig (da)
• Finnish: ystävällinen (fi)
• French: aimable (fr) m and f

• German: liebenswürdig (de)
• Irish: grámhar (ga)
• Italian: amabile (it), affabile (it)
• Russian: дружелюбный (ru) (druželjúbnyj), приветливый (ru) (privétlivyj), любезный (ru) (ljubéznyj), добродушный (ru) (dobrodúšnyj), милый (ru) (mílyj), дружественный (ru) (drúžestvennyj)
• Spanish: amable (es), afable (es)

possessing sweetness of disposition

• Bulgarian: симпатичен (bg) (simpatičen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 友好 (cmn) (yǒuhǎo), 藹然 (cmn), 蔼然 (cmn) (ǎirán), (formal) 友善 (cmn) (yǒushàn)

• Danish: elskværdig (da)
• Estonian: avatud (et)
• Finnish: rakastettava (fi)
• French: aimable (fr) m and f

• German: liebenswürdig (de)
• Irish: grámhar (ga)
• Italian: amabile (it), affettuoso (it)
• Japanese: 愛想のいい (aisō no ii)
• Russian: милый (ru) (mílyj), симпатичный (ru) (simpatíčnyj), привлекательный (ru) (privlekátel'nyj)
• Spanish: amable (es), afable (es)

External links

• amiable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• amiable in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• amiable at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Old French

Adjective

amiable m and f

1. likable; amiable

Descendants

• English: amiable
• Middle French: amyable