The concept of love in Amharic in the light of systemic data

Abstract

The article aims to examine the concept of love as reflected in the lexical system of Amharic. The first part of the study analyzes the three main lexical representations of the concept: the verbs wäddädä and afäqqärä, as well as the noun fəqər. Particularly important in this context is the existence of the two different verbs meaning ‘to love’, which differ in the intensity of the feeling and frequency of use. Subsequently, the article examines the great variety of derivatives based on the two main roots connected with the notion of love: fqr and wdd. This demonstrates the role that the Amharic morphology plays in bringing out different flavors of meaning, as well as provides a deeper insight into the culture that underlies the Amharic worldview. The third part of the study, in turn, sketches the lexico-semantic field centered around the main lexical exponents of the concept. Finally, the last part analyzes idiomatic expressions connected with love.