Etymology Map
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Amount

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a quantity of something

Where does the word "amount" come from? It comes from Latin ad montem, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ad montem
Latin · ancient
"to the mountain"
'ad', to, plus 'mons', mountain: going upward
2
Stage 2 of 3
amonter
Old French · medieval
"to go up"
'amonter' also meant to climb a mountain, from 'a mont', uphill
3
Stage 3 of 3
amount
English · 1300s
"to rise to"
the noun 'amount', a total, dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Amount’s story begins in Latin: ad montem meant “to the mountain.” 'ad', to, plus 'mons', mountain: going upward. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as amonter. 'amonter' also meant to climb a mountain, from 'a mont', uphill. It reached English by 1300s as amount. The noun 'amount', a total, dates from the 1700s. Today, amount means a quantity of something.