Word of the Day
Amor (uh-MOHR)
Spanish word for love
Common clues: Love, Spanish-style; Julius Caesar's love; Cupid alias; Roman love god
Crossword puzzle frequency: 6 times a year
Frequency in English language: 49716 / 86800
News: Studies on Romance Love Valentine's Day
Video: Valentine's candy for geek lovers
Amore (uh-MOHR-ray)
Italian word for love
Common clues: Love, in Venezia; Love, Italian style; Love, in Venice; Dean Martin's "That's ____"
Crossword puzzle frequency: 4 times a year
Frequency in English language: 81332 / 86800
Amour (uh-MUHR)
French word for love
Common clues: Love in Paris; Romance
Crossword puzzle frequency: Once a year
Frequency in English language: 44774 / 86800
Eros (AIR-ahss)
Greek god of love
Common clues: Symbol of love; Cupid's equivalent; Desire deified; Greek Cupid
Crossword puzzle frequency: 8 times a year
Frequency in English language: 38003 / 86800
Love has several different meanings in every language, from something that gives a little pleasure ("I loved that meal") to something one would die for (patriotism, pairbonding). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. Probably due to its emotional primacy, love is one of the most common themes in art.
Susan Hendrick and Clyde Hendrick developed a Loves Attitude Scale based on John Alan Lee's theory called Love styles. Lee identified six basic theories that people use in their interpersonal relationships:
* Eros — a passionate physical love based on physical appearance
* Ludus — love is played as a game; love is playful
* Storge — an affectionate love that slowly develops, based on similarity
* Pragma — pragmatic love
* Mania — highly emotional love; unstable; the stereotype of romantic love
* Agape — selfless altruistic love; spiritual
The Hendricks found men tend to be more ludic and manic, whereas women tend to be storgic and pragmatic. Relationships based on similar love styles were found to last longer.
There are several Greek words for Love that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.
* Agape - In the New Testament, agape is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental love seen as creating goodness in the world, it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.
* Phileo - Also used in the New Testament, Phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love".
* Two other words for love in the Greek language -- Eros (sexual love) and storge (needy child-to parent love) were never used in the New Testament.
Christians believe that to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbour as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of God, according to Jesus). See The Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28-34). Saint Augustine summarised this when he wrote "Love God, and do as thou wilt". Saint Paul glorified agape love as the most important virtue of all in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. Attempting to define it he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails."(NIV 13:4-8)
Christians also believe that God felt so much agape love for man that he sacrificed his son for them. John the Apostle wrote, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but the save the world through him." (NIV John 3:16-17)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Love".
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