1. friend, companion, fellow-worker, helper, esp one who gives his advice, a bosom-friend Iti.73; Ja.vi.512 (sahajātā amaccā); Pv.ii.6#20 (a ˚-paricārikā well-advising friends as company or around him). Freq. in comb^n. with mitta as mitt’ âmaccā, friends & colleagues DN.iii.189–DN.iii.90; SN.i.90 = AN.ii.67; Pv-a.29; or with ñātī (ñāti-sālohitā intimate friends & near-relations), mittâmaccā ñātisālohitā Vin.ii.126; Snp.p.104 (= mittā ca kammakarā ca Snp-a.447); mittā vā amaccā vā ñātī vā sālohitā vā AN.i.222; Pv-a.28; amaccā ñāti-sanghā ca AN.i.152.
2. Especially a king’s intimate friend, king’s favourite confidant Ja.i.262; Pv-a.73 (˚kula), Pv-a.74 (amaccā ca purohito ca), Pv-a.81 (sabba-kammika amacca), Pv-a.93; and his special adviser or privy councillor, as such distinguished from the official ministers (purohita, mahāmatta, pārisajja); usually comb^d. with pārisajjā (pl.) viz. DN.i.136 (= piya-sahāyaka DN-a.i.297, but cp. the foll. expl^n. of pārisajjā as “sesā āṇatti-karā”); Vin.i.348; DN.iii.64 (amaccā pārisajjā gaṇakamahāmattā); AN.i.142 (catunnaṃ mahārājānaṃ a. pārisajjā) See on the question of ministers in general Fick, Sociale Gliederung p. 93, 164 & Banerjea, Public Administration in Ancient India pp. 106–120

Vedic amātya (only in meaning “companion”), adj. formation fr. amā an adverbial loc
■ gen. of pron. 1^st person, Sk. ahaṃ = Idg. *emo (cp. Sk. m-ama), meaning “(those) of me or with me”, i.e. those who are in my house