Ardor
/ˈɑːr.dər/noun
Intense feeling or passion; great warmth of emotion.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *ardor*, from *ardēre* meaning “to burn,” so its emotional sense grew directly out of the ancient idea that desire is a kind of fire.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂er-
“to burn, glow”
Latin
Latin
ardēre
“to burn, blaze”
Latin
Latin
ardor
“burning heat; glow; zeal, passion”
Old French
OF
ardeur
“burning heat; fervor, zeal”
Middle English
English
ardour
“burning heat; intense feeling or passion”
Modern English
English
ardor
“intense feeling or passion”