ama (Old Norse)
Where does "ama" come from?
The Old Norse word 'ama' traces its roots back to the Proto-Indo-European *h₃emh₃-, which originally meant to urge or insist. From this sense of pressing or bothering, it evolved into the Proto-Germanic *ammōną, signifying to irritate or annoy. Over time, the meaning shifted from these active, bothersome roots to describe a sheer mass or a large amount.
Full etymology tree
- ama (Old Norse), 'a large amount, a ton'
- inherited *ammōną (Proto-Germanic), 'to irritate, bother'
- inherited *ammōþi (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *amnā́ti (pre-Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *h₃emh₃- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grab, to grasp, to seize, to take hold, tackle, touch'
- inherited *amnā́ti (pre-Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *amunanþi (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *amunánti (pre-Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *h₃emh₃- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to grab, to grasp, to seize, to take hold, tackle, touch'
- inherited *amunánti (pre-Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *ammōþi (Proto-Germanic)
- inherited *ammōną (Proto-Germanic), 'to irritate, bother'
Ancestors
- *h₂enh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- *ammōną (Proto-Germanic)
- *h₃emh₃- (Proto-Indo-European)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris