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Re: What is the ethnic orign of my name?
in reply to a message by Amy
Amy is the English version of the French name Aimée.Amy <-- Click hyperlink.Miranda
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I thought Amy is the pet name from Amelie/Amelia (no diacritics here)Doina
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It *can* be used as a pet form of Amelia/Amelie, but it has a totally different etymological background. :-)
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"Amy" is an English version of the French name "Amie", which means "friend".
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Amie is a word, the feminine form of the word for 'friend', ami being the male version in French, amies the plural.The name Amy comes from the French name Aimee, past participle of the verb 'aimer' meaning 'to love'. It began as a nn signifying 'beloved' in the middle ages and was gradually adopted as a given name.The 'aimer' verb is the clear root in common but the meanings are different. In French you might say 'J'aime mes amies' meaning 'I love my friends.' In modern times with the fondness for mucking-about the spellings of names you find Aimee/Amy rendered in all sorts of outlandish fashions - Amee, Aimie, Aimy, etc. including by pure coincidence or a basic grasp of high school French, the form Amie. But this isn't the etymology of the name, simply a cousin with similar roots ;o)Devon
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