amavimus

Amavimus is a Latin verb form, the first-person plural perfect indicative active of amare, meaning “we loved” or “we have loved.” It denotes a completed action in the past and is often translated into English as a simple past or present perfect, depending on context.

Formation and morphology: Amavimus is built from the present stem amā- with the perfective vowel -āv- and the 1st-person plural ending -imus, producing amavimus. In the Latin verb system, the perfect tense is a synthetic form that marks a completed action, with amavimus agreeing with the subject in person and number.

Usage and meaning: The form appears in both prose and poetry. It may occur with an explicit subject or with the subject implied by context. A typical example is Nos amavimus libros, which can be translated as “We loved the books” or “We have loved the books,” depending on temporal interpretation and surrounding text. The precise nuance between past and present perfect in Latin is often determined by surrounding verbs and particles.

Context and relevance: Amavimus is a standard exemplar in Latin grammars for teaching the perfect tense and first-person plural endings. It is commonly found in classical Latin texts, inscriptions, and educational materials designed to illustrate verb conjugation and tense usage.