allege

allege · verb¹

1. Latin · derived fromex“out”
2. Medieval Latin · derived from*exlītigāre“to clear at law”
3. Old French · derived fromesligier“to acquit”
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromaleger
5. Old French · derived fromalleguer
6. Middle English · inherited fromaleggen
7. English todayallege

From Middle English aleggen, perhaps from Old French alleguer, or from Anglo-Norman aleger, the form perhaps from Old French esligier (“to acquit”), from Medieval Latin *exlītigāre (“to clear at law”), from Latin ex (“out”) + lītigō (“sue at law”), but the meaning from Old French alleguer, from Latin allēgāre (“send on a mission, depute; relate, mention, adduce”), from ad (“to”) + lēgō (“send”). See also al-.

allege · verb²

1. Latin · derived fromalleviāre“lighten”
2. Old French · derived fromalegier
3. Middle English · inherited fromalleggen
4. English todayallege

From Middle English alleggen, from Old French alegier, from Latin alleviāre (“lighten”), from ad + levis (“light”). Doublet of alleviate.

Words from the same roots