amadouer

to coax; to sweet-talk (persuade gradually); to cajole; to humour (person)

Inherited from Middle French amadouer (“to coax, lure”), from a- + *madouer (“to lure, give food to”), from Old Norse mata (“to lure, feed”), from Proto-Germanic *matōną, *matjaną (“to feed, eat”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“wet”). Cognate with Icelandic mata (“to bait, allure”), Danish made (“to feed”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (matjan, “to eat, have a meal”), Old English mete (“food”). More at meat.