Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae
“Friendships are joined by love, character, speech and deeds.”
Medieval Latin saying
What does “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae” mean?
Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae translates as “Friendships are joined by love, character, speech and deeds.”
Real friendship needs affection, good character, honest words and practical help.
“Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Amore | by love | ablative singular (ablative of means) of amor, “love” |
| more | by character | ablative singular of mos, “custom, habit, character” |
| ore | by speech | ablative singular of os (oris), “mouth, speech”; not the other ōs (ossis), “bone” |
| re | by deed | ablative singular of res, “thing, matter, deed”; here the practical help given |
| iunguntur | are joined | third person plural, present, indicative, passive of iungo, “to join” |
| amicitiae | friendships | nominative plural of amicitia, “friendship”; the subject of the sentence |
How to pronounce “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae”
The differences are in iunguntur (classical i is a y sound, church Latin often gives a softer y or j sound) and amicitiae, where church Latin has ch and ts sounds and a final eh. The four rhyming words keep the same stress in both: a-MO-re, MO-re, O-re, RE.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “by love, by character, by speech, by deed friendships are joined”. The four short ablative words are the point: they rhyme and sound almost alike, which makes the saying easy to remember.
It is a medieval Latin saying, with no single known author, and it is usually quoted as a proverb. The thought behind it is much older: ancient writers on friendship, Cicero above all in De amicitia, also held that true friendship rests on shared character and goodwill, not on usefulness alone.
Today the line is quoted in friendship cards, school mottoes and engravings, often to stress that affection must be matched by honest words and real help.
How to use “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae”
Fits a card or toast for a close friend, an engraved gift, a school or club motto, or a tattoo for a friendship that has been tested. It suits any setting where you want to say that friendship takes more than warm feelings.
- Latin
- Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae
- English
- Friendships are joined by love, character, speech and deeds.
- Source
- Medieval Latin saying
- Era
- Medieval
- Theme
- Friendship
Common mistakes
- Do not read it as a list of four separate kinds of friendship. All four ablatives work together to join one friendship.
- The rhyme depends on the exact endings. Changing or dropping a word, or swapping the order, breaks the wordplay.
- ore means “by speech” here, from os, oris. It is not ōre in the sense of “by the shore” or any other word, and it has nothing to do with the English word “ore”.
- It is a proverb, not a line from Cicero or another classical author, so avoid crediting it to one.
Questions about “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae”
What does “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae” mean literally?
“By love, by character, by speech, by deed friendships are joined.” Each of the first four words is an ablative of means, showing how friendship is bound together.
Who said “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae”?
No author is known. It is a medieval Latin saying, best described as a proverb. The ideas echo ancient writing on friendship, but the rhyming form is medieval.
How do you pronounce “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae”?
Classical: ah-MOH-reh MOH-reh OH-reh REH YOON-goon-toor ah-mih-KIH-tee-eye. Church Latin changes only a few sounds, mainly in the last word.
Is “Amore, more, ore, re iunguntur amicitiae” good Latin for a tattoo?
The Latin is correct and the grammar is sound. The rhyme only works if the four short words are kept exactly as written, so copy the whole line without changes.
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Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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