The superlative form of 'fond,' meaning most loving, affectionate, or having the strongest feeling of liking something.
From Middle English 'fon' meaning foolish, from Old Norse 'fánn' meaning fool. Surprisingly, 'fond' originally meant silly or foolish, but by the 16th century, it shifted to mean affectionate—possibly because being in love makes you act foolishly.
The semantic shift from 'foolish' to 'affectionate' happened in English around the 1500s, and Shakespeare used both meanings depending on context. It's a perfect example of how love makes us do things that look foolish to others!
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