Where does “amble” come from?
Amble comes from Old French ambler, from Old Occitan amblar, from Latin ambulo meaning "to walk," derived from the Latin prefix ambi- meaning "around" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- meaning "to go" or "to move."
amble (English): An unhurried leisurely walk or stroll; An easy...
Definitions
- An unhurried leisurely walk or stroll; An easy...
Ancestry of “amble”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | amblen | to walk at an easy gait |
| 2 | Old French | ambler | to amble |
| 3 | Old Occitan | amblar | — |
| 4 | Latin | ambulō | to traverse, travel |
| 5 | Latin | ambi- | around, about |
| 6 | Latin | ambō | both |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |