paramour

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpæɹəmʊə/
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• Received-Pronunciation: /-mɔː/
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• General-American: /ˈpɛɹəˌmʊ(ə)ɹ/
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• General-American: /-ˌmɔɹ/
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• US: Mary-marry-merry Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• US: non-Mary-marry-merry Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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The adverb is derived from Middle English par amour, paramore, paramours (“with sexual desire or love, passionately; in a courteous or friendly manner”), from Anglo-Norman par amur (“in a friendly or willing manner”) and Old French par amur, par amour, paramours (“by or through love”) (modern French par amour), from par (“by; through; etc.”) (from Latin per (“by means of, through”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through; etc.”)) + amor, amur (“love”, noun) (from Latin amōrem, the accusative singular of amor (“desire, lust; affection, love”), from amō (“to love”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h3emh3- (“to grasp, seize; to take hold; to touch; etc.”)) + -or (suffix forming abstract nouns)). The noun is from Middle English paramour, paramoure, paramur, peramour (“wife; concubine; mistress; husband; male lover; darling, sweetheart; romantic love; sexual passion; (Christianity) Jesus Christ; the Virgin Mary; divine or spiritual love”), from par amour, paramore (adverb) (see above), possibly from a misinterpretation of to love paramour(s) (“to love passionately”) to mean “to love a beloved person”. The verb is partly from both of the following: * From Middle English paramouren (“to love (someone)”), probably derived from the adverb (see above). The Middle English word is only attested in one (possibly 15th-century) source and does not appear to have been used again until the 17th century; compare William Shakespeare's use of out-paramour in King Lear (written c. 1603–1606): see the 1608 quotation. * Uses from the 17th century onwards are probably derived from the noun.

85 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Albanian: dashnor — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Albanian: dashnore — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Arabic: خَلِيل (ḵalīl) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Arabic: خَلِيلَة (ḵalīla) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Arabic: عَشِيق (ʕašīq) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Arabic: عَشِيقَة (ʕašīqa) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Armenian: սիրած (sirac) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Armenian: սիրեկան (sirekan) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Armenian: սիրուհի (siruhi) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Belarusian: палюбо́ўнік (paljubównik) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Belarusian: каха́нак (kaxának) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Belarusian: палюбо́ўніца (paljubównica) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Belarusian: каха́нка (kaxánka) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Bulgarian: извънбра́чен любо́вник (izvǎnbráčen ljubóvnik) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Bulgarian: любо́вник (ljubóvnik) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Bulgarian: любо́вница (ljubóvnica) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 姦夫 /奸夫 (jiānfū) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 姦婦 /奸妇 (jiānfù) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 男妾 (nánqiè) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 姘頭 /姘头 (pīntóu) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 情婦 /情妇 (qíngfù) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Chinese Mandarin: 相好 (xiānghǎo de) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Czech: milenec — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Czech: milenka — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Finnish: rakastaja — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Finnish: rakastajatar — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• French: amant — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• French: amante — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• French: maîtresse — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Buhle — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Geliebte — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Geliebter — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Liebhaber — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Liebhaberin — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Mätresse — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• German: Poussage — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Greek: ερωμένος (eroménos) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Greek: ερωμένη (eroméni) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Greek: εραστής (erastís) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Hebrew: מְאַהֵב (m'ahév) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Italian: amante — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Italian: madama — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Japanese: 愛人 (aijin) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Japanese: 情婦 (jōfu) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Japanese: 男妾 — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Korean: 애인 (aein) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Korean: 정부 (jeongbu) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Korean: 정부 (jeongbu) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Korean: 남첩 (namcheop) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Macedonian: љубо́вник (ljubóvnik) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Macedonian: љубо́вница (ljubóvnica) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Macedonian: шва́лерка (šválerka) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Middle English: paramour — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Nogai: суьеркер (süyerker) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Occitan: amant — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Persian: فاسق (fâseq) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Polish: kochanek — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Polish: kochanka — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Portuguese: amante — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Romanian: amant — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Romanian: amantă — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Russian: любо́вник (ljubóvnik) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Russian: любо́вница (ljubóvnica) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Sanskrit: कामुक (kāmuka) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: љу́ба̄внӣк — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: шва̀ле̄р — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: љу́ба̄вница — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: шва̀ле̄рка — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: ljúbāvnīk — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: švàlēr — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: ljúbāvnica — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Serbo-Croatian: švàlērka — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Slovak: milenec — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Slovak: milenka — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Slovene: ljubimec — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Slovene: ljubimka — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Spanish: amante — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Spanish: amor prohibido — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Ukrainian: коха́нець (koxánecʹ) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Ukrainian: коха́нок (koxánok) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Ukrainian: полюбо́вник (poljubóvnyk) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Ukrainian: коха́нка (koxánka) — person with whom one has an illicit or secret affair; one with whom a married person has an adulterous affair
• Finnish: rakas — woman who is the object of a knight’s love, and who he fights for
• Russian: да́ма се́рдца (dáma sérdca) — woman who is the object of a knight’s love, and who he fights for
• Finnish: olla suhteessa — to have an illicit or secret affair with a person