paramour

English

Alternative forms

• paramours

Etymology

From Middle English paramour, paramoure, peramour, paramur, from Old French par amor (“for love's sake”). The modern pronunciation is apparently an Early Modern English readaptation of the French.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpæ.ɹə.mʊə/, /ˈpæ.ɹə.mɔː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpæɹəmɔɹ/

  (Mary–marry–merry distinction)

  Audio (US)

  (file)

  (Mary–marry–merry merger)

  Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

paramour (plural paramours)

1. (somewhat archaic) An illicit lover, either male or female.

   Synonyms: leman, mistress; see also Thesaurus:mistress

   to run away with a paramour

   • 1848, Thomas Maucalay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second:

     The seducer appeared with dauntless front, accompanied by his paramour.

   • 1934, Yusuf Ali, transl., The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, surah 4, verse 25:

     They should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking paramours:

   • 2016 February 23, Robbie Collin, “Grimsby review: ' Sacha Baron Cohen's vital, venomous action movie'”, in The Daily Telegraph (London):

     The action scenes are deafening and punchily staged by director Louis Letterier (The Transporter), though I wish he’d set more time aside to spend with Nobby, his paramour Dawn (Rebel Wilson), their shaven-headed brood, and friends

2. (obsolete) The Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ (when addressed by a person of the opposite sex).

Derived terms

• out-paramour the Turk

 

Translations

illicit lover

• Albanian: dashnor (sq) m, dashnore (sq) f
• Arabic: خَلِيل m (ḵalīl), خَلِيلَة f (ḵalīla); عَشِيق m (ʕašīq), عَشِيقَة f (ʕašīqa)
• Armenian: սիրած (hy) (sirac), սիրեկան (hy) m (sirekan), սիրուհի (hy) f (siruhi)
• Belarusian: палюбо́ўнік m (paljubóŭnik), каха́нак m (kaxának), палюбо́ўніца f (paljubóŭnica), каха́нка f (kaxánka)
• Bulgarian: извънбра́чен любо́вник m (izvǎnbráčen ljubóvnik), любо́вник (bg) m (ljubóvnik), любо́вница (bg) f (ljubóvnica)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 姦夫／奸夫 (zh) (jiānfū) (male); 姦婦／奸妇 (jiānfù) (female), 情婦／情妇 (zh) (qíngfù) (female), 相好的 (zh) (xiānghǎo de) (colloquial), 男妾 (zh) (nánqiè) (male), 姘頭／姘头 (zh) (pīntóu) (male and female)

• Czech: milenec (cs) m, milenka (cs) f
• Finnish: rakastaja (fi) (male), rakastajatar (fi) (female)
• French: amant (fr) m (male), amante (fr) f (female), maîtresse (fr) f (female)
• German: Geliebte (de) f, Geliebter (de) m, Liebhaber (de) m, Liebhaberin (de) f, Mätresse (de) f, Poussage (de) f, Buhle (de) f
• Greek: ερωμένος (el) m (eroménos), ερωμένη (el) f (eroméni), εραστής (el) m (erastís)
• Hebrew: מְאַהֵב (he) m (m'ahév)
• Italian: amante (it) m or f, madama (it) f
• Japanese: 愛人 (ja) (あいじん, aijin) (male and female), 情婦 (ja) (じょうふ, jōfu) (female), 男妾 (ja) (おとこめかけ, otokomekake, だんしょう, danshō) (male)
• Korean: 애인(愛人) (ko) (aein) (male and female), 정부(情婦) (ko) (jeongbu) (female, dated), 정부(情夫) (ko) (jeongbu) (male, dated), 남첩(男妾) (namcheop) (male)
• Macedonian: љубо́вник m (ljubóvnik), љубо́вница f (ljubóvnica), шва́лерка f (šválerka)
• Middle English: paramour
• Nogai: суьеркер (süyerker)
• Occitan: amant m
• Persian: فاسق (fa) (fâseq)
• Polish: kochanek (pl) m, kochanka (pl) f
• Portuguese: amante (pt) m or f
• Romanian: amant (ro) m, amantă (ro) f
• Russian: любо́вник (ru) m (ljubóvnik) (male), любо́вница (ru) f (ljubóvnica) (female)
• Sanskrit: कामुक (sa) m (kāmuka)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: љу́ба̄внӣк m, шва̀ле̄р m, љу́ба̄вница f, шва̀ле̄рка f

  Roman: ljúbāvnīk (sh) m, švàlēr (sh) m, ljúbāvnica (sh) f, švàlērka (sh) f

• Slovak: milenec m, milenka (sk) f
• Slovene: ljubimec (sl) m, ljubimka f
• Spanish: amante (es) m or f, amor prohibido m
• Ukrainian: коха́нець (uk) m (koxánecʹ), коха́нок (uk) m (koxánok), полюбо́вник m (poljubóvnyk), коха́нка (uk) f (koxánka)

Verb

paramour (third-person singular simple present paramours, present participle paramouring, simple past and past participle paramoured)

1. To go with a paramour; to have an affair.
   • 1842, John de Jean Fraser, The Stranger in His Native Place:

     The paramouring matron left / A babe and husband both bereft;

   • 2011, Joanna L. Grossman, Lawrence M. Friedman, Inside the Castle, Princeton University Press, →ISBN:

     This meant it could even call in "third party 'paramours'" and tell them to quit their paramouring.

Derived terms

• out-paramour

Adverb

paramour (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, of loving, etc.) Passionately, out of sexual desire.

   Synonyms: devotedly, passionately

Further reading

• paramour on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “paramour”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• paramoire, paramore, par amour, paramoure, par amoure, paramoures, paramours, par amours, paramowre, paramur, par amur, paramurs, peramour, peramoures, peramowre

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French par amour (“for love's sake”); equivalent to par- +‎ amour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌparaˈmuːr/, /ˈparamur/, /ˈparəmur/

Adverb

paramour

1. In a loving or sexual way; amorously, passionately.

   Synonym: amorously

   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Knyghtes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     For paramour I loved her fyrst ere thou.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “liij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X:

     Is this trouthe said Palomydes / Thenne shall we hastely here of sire Tristram / And as for to say that I loue la Beale Isoud peramours I dare make good that I doo / and that she hath my seruyse aboue alle other ladyes / and shalle haue the terme of my lyf

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. In a kind or caring way; affectionately.
3. Please (used to make a request)

Descendants

• English: paramour (obsolete)

References

• “par amǒur(e, adverbial phr.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Noun

paramour (plural paramours)

1. A lover; a sexual or romantic partner:
   1. A paramour; an illicit sexual or romantic partner.
   2. A term of address for someone that one loves.
2. Sexual, romantic or (less often) spiritual passion.
3. (rare, figurative) Used of Jesus or Mary

Descendants

• English: paramour

References

• “paramǒur(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.