Amours

Amours is the plural form of the French noun amour, meaning romantic love or affection. In French, amours can refer to love in general or to specific romantic attachments or relationships. In English usage, amours is largely literary or archaic, appearing in poetry or historical writing to denote romantic affairs or loves in a stylistic or elevated register.

Etymology and form: The term derives from Old French amour, itself from Latin amor, meaning love. The plural amours is formed with the -s ending, a standard feature of French noun plurals. In pronunciation, amours and amour are closely related in French, with the plural often pronounced similarly to the singular.

Cultural usage: The word frequently appears as a motif in literature and the arts, particularly within French and broader Western Romantic and neoclassical traditions. Works that use Amours in the title or as a central theme typically evoke romance, desire, tenderness, or flirtation, and aim to convey a formal or idealized treatment of love rather than everyday relationships. In English translations, amours may be retained to preserve a sense of French flavor or historical atmosphere.

See also: amour; l'amour; amore.