Etymology

make love

Today it means: To engage in sexual intercourse. Full definition →

First used 1950sOld Occitan far amor ← Middle French faire l'amour
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The story

  1. Middle French · calque offaire l'amour
  2. Old Occitan · calque offar amor
  3. English todaymake love

Calque of Old Occitan far amor, Middle French faire l'amour.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1950s To engage in sexual intercourse.
  • from 16th c. To make amorous approaches (to); to woo, romance, court.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.