Etymograph

English

amigo

Amigo comes from Spanish amigo ‘friend’, and goes back to Latin amāre ‘to love’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamāre1‘to love’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcus1‘friend’
  3. Old Spanishc. 950–1500amigo2
  4. Spanishc. 1500–presentamigo1‘friend’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1989amigo1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English amigo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Spanish amigo
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1989, Dan Simmons, Hyperion: “I don’t remember electing you dictator, amigo.”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamāreWiktionary, English amigo‘to love’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEamīcusWiktionary, English amigo‘friend’
  3. Old Spanishc. 950–1500amigoWiktionary, Spanish amigo
  4. Spanishc. 1500–presentamigoWiktionary, English amigo‘friend’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1989amigoWiktionary, English amigo. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1989, Dan Simmons, Hyperion: “I don’t remember electing you dictator, amigo.”

Linked words

through Latin amāre ‘to love’

amateur, 1 more

through Latin amīcus ‘friend’

enemy, enmity, amicable, amiable, amity, inimical, 5 more

Today it means

noun A friend.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “amigo”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Spanish amigo. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin amāre / amigo

Shirt and support for this word