Enamor

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪˈnamə/

Definitions

1. To fill with love or strong affection | to charm or captivate someone completely
2. To cause someone to feel deep affection or passionate attraction toward something or someone
3. To inspire intense fondness or romantic interest in a person through charm or appeal

Etymology: Emerging in English during the late 15th century, this verb originally captured the sense of filling someone with love or attraction. Its roots trace back to the Old French verb "enamourer," which meant "to inflame with love," a compound formed from the prefix "en-" meaning "to put into" or "to cause to be," and "amour," the French word for "love." This French term itself derives from the Latin "amor," directly translating to "love," showing a clear path from Latin through Old French into English. The prefix "en-" played a crucial role in transforming the noun "love" into a verb that implied causing or inducing the state of love. This morphological process was common in Romance languages and was adopted into English as it absorbed a rich vocabulary from Norman French after the Norman Conquest. By adding "en-" to "amour," the word shifted from a static concept of love to a dynamic action—making someone fall in love. Over time, the spelling and pronunciation settled into the form recognized today. While the term is somewhat formal and literary in modern usage, it retains the original sense of inspiring affection or admiration. The verb’s journey from Latin through Old French into English highlights the linguistic interplay that enriched English vocabulary during the Middle Ages, especially with words related to emotions and relationships.

Synonyms: captivate, charm, enchant, infatuate, attract

Antonyms: disenchant, repel, dissuade, turn off, bore