Amortization is the process of paying a debt by regular payments until the debt is gone. You borrow a lump, then you send the bank a fixed amount on a timetable; part of each payment is interest, and part chips away the original sum. The bank’s amortization schedule is the table of those payments.

Amortization is the process of paying a debt by regular payments until the debt is gone是透過定期還款，把債務一直還到清償完畢的過程。You borrow a lump你借一筆整數的錢, then you send the bank a fixed amount on a timetable然後按照一個時間表，固定付給銀行一筆錢; part of each payment is interest每一筆款項裡，一部分是利息, and part chips away the original sum另一部分則是在慢慢削減原本借的本金。The bank's amortization schedule is the table of those payments銀行的 amortization schedule（攤還時間表）就是這些還款的明細表。

American spelling keeps the z; British English often writes amortisation.

American spelling keeps the z美式拼法保留 z; British English often writes amortisation英式英文常常寫成 amortisation。

This is finance and legal English, not kitchen English — at home people say “paying off the loan bit by bit.” The surprising history: the French root was about “killing” something, from the Latin word for death. The debt is being put to death, slowly.

This is finance and legal English, not kitchen English這是財經和法律英文，不是家常英文 — at home people say 'paying off the loan bit by bit.'在家裡大家會說「paying off the loan bit by bit」（把貸款一點一點還掉）。The surprising history令人意外的歷史是: the French root was about 'killing' something這個字的法文字根跟「殺死」某樣東西有關, from the Latin word for death源自拉丁文裡表示「死亡」的字。The debt is being put to death, slowly債務正在被慢慢地「處死」。

Though actually, accountants also say amortization when they spread the cost of a patent or a software licence across several years, like depreciation for things you cannot touch. That is a cousin meaning. The meaning filed here is the loan one.

Though actually不過話說回來, accountants also say amortization when they spread the cost of a patent or a software licence across several years會計師也會用 amortization 來指把專利或軟體授權的成本分攤到好幾年, like depreciation for things you cannot touch就像是針對摸不到的東西所做的折舊。That is a cousin meaning這是一個相近的用法。The meaning filed here is the loan one這篇詞條收錄的是貸款那個意思。