Where does “ample” come from?
Ample comes from Middle English ample, from Middle French ample, from Latin amplus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂em- meaning to extend or embrace.
ample (English): Large; great in size, extent, capacity, or bulk;...
Definitions
- Large; great in size, extent, capacity, or bulk;...
Ancestry of “ample”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ample | ample, copious, profuse |
| 2 | Middle French | ample | — |
| 3 | Old French | ample | — |
| 4 | Latin | amplus | large, spacious, roomy; abundant, ample;... |
| 5 | Latin | -ō | suffixed to nouns or adjectives. Originally a-stem nouns. Later extended to nouns with other stems. Forms regular first-conjugation verbs |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |