1590s, "pertaining to love, expressive of love" (especially sexual love), from Latin amatorius "loving, amorous," from amat-, past-participle stem of amare "to love" (see Amy). Related: Amatorial.
Entries linking to amatory
Amy
fem. proper name, from Old French Amee, literally "beloved," from fem. past participle of amer "to love," from Latin amare "to love, be in love with; find pleasure in," Proto-Italic *ama- "to take, hold," from a PIE root meaning "take hold of," also the source of Sanskrit amisi, amanti "take hold of; swear;" Avestan *ama- "attacking power;" Greek omnymi "to swear," anomotos "under oath;" Old Irish namae "enemy." According to de Vaan, "The Latin meaning has developed from 'to take the hand of' [to] 'regard as a friend'."