a. Forms: 4 amiabul, 4–6 amyable, 5 aimiable, ameabill, 5–6 amyabil(l, 6– amiable. [a. OFr. amiable:—L. amīcābil-em friendly, f. amīc-us a friend; afterwards confused with OFr. amable (mod. aimable):—L. amābilem lovable, f. amāre to love: see AMICABLE and -BLE. Occas. compared -er, -est.]
† 1. (= Fr. amiable, L. amīcābil-em.) a. Of persons: Friendly, amicable; kind (in action). Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 586. Þat amiabul maide alisaundrine a hiȝt.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., 61. Amyable fortune with hir flaterynges draweth mys wandrynge men fro the souereyne good.
c. 1400. Beryn, 1657. He made hym chere, semeyng amyabill.
1491. Caxton, Vitas Patr., I. xix. (1495), 22 a/1. One namyd Phylemon whyche was moche amyable and debonayr to the peple.
b. Friendly, kindly disposed, favorably inclined (to a thing). ? Only in U.S.
1875. Howells, Foregone Concl., 72. That foreign eccentricity to which their nation is so amiable.
c. Of words, conduct, etc.: Friendly, kindly. (Now almost restricted to temper, mood, and so passing into 3.)
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melibeus, 10. With amyable wordes hire to recomforte.
1443. Pol. Poems, II. 210. Froward cheerys, pees makith amyable.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. ii. 243. Lay an amiable siege to the honesty of this Ford’s wife.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 459, ¶ 12. Giving us more amiable Ideas of the Supreme Being.
c. 1746. Hervey, Medit. & Cont. (1818), 87. In vain we strive to behold the features of amiable nature.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 602. The rebels … proceeded to Wells, and arrived there in no amiable temper.
† d. Amiable numbers: see AMICABLE 3 b.
† 2. (= Fr. aimable, L. amābilem.) Worthy to be loved, lovable, lovely. a. of persons. Obs. (exc. as restricted in 3.)
1535. Coverdale, Jud. x. 4. She was exceadinge amyable and welfauoured in all mens eyes.
1604. Shaks., Oth., III. iv. 59. While she kept it, ’T would make her Amiable, and subdue my Father.
a. 1656. Bp. Hall, Invis. World, II. vi. The infinitely amiable and glorious Deity.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 162, ¶ 4. We … are amiable or odious in the Eyes of our great Judge.
1788. New Lond. Mag., 572. Not more amiable for the beauty of her person than the accomplishments of her mind.
† b. of things. Obs. or arch. exc. in regard to personal human actions, in which it approaches 3.
1382. Wyclif, Phil. iv. 8. What euere thingis amyable, or able to be loued [Vulg. amabilia; Rhem. amiable; 1611 lovely]. Ibid., Amos v. 11. Ȝe shuln plante most amyable vyne ȝerdis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prol. 151. Mayst amyabil waxis the emerant medis.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxxiii. 1. How amiable are thy dwellinges, thou Lorde of hoostes? [Wyclif, looued; 1611 amiable].
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. xcvi. 138. Of savour and smell more amiable or pleasant.
1615. Markham, Eng. Housew. (1660), 101. Smoothing of the skinne, and keeping the face delicate and amiable.
1644. Howell, Lett. (1650), I. 470. They keep their churches so cleanly and amiable.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time, II. 297. It was no amiable thing to be a province to Spain.
1722. Steele, Consc. Lovers, II. i. (1755), 35. To tear his amiable Image from my Heart.
1802. Miss Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. xvi. 133. He should appear in a more amiable light.
1877. M. Arnold, Heine’s Gr. Poems, II. 258. This amiable home of the dead.
3. The ordinary modern meaning mixes senses 1 and 2, implying the possession of that friendly disposition which causes one to be liked; habitually characterized by that friendliness which awakens friendliness in return; having pleasing qualities of heart.
(A lovable person is viewed as wholly objective; an amiable person is the subject of friendly emotions, which make him the object of our friendly emotions.)
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, III. vii. (1840), 30/2. The amiable temper of pity.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. vi. 122. That amiable prince soon acquired the affections of the public.
1806–31. A. Knox, Rem., I. (1844), 67. The Church of England has produced numberless specimens of … the most amiable goodness.
1816. Crabbe, Synon., 74. An amiable disposition, without a lovely person, will render a person beloved. It is distressing to see any one who is lovely in person to be unamiable in character.
1866. Carlyle, Remin., I. 168. I remember her well, one of the amiablest of old maids.
