allegory

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂ger-“flock, herd; to gather”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂el-“beyond; other”
3. Ancient Greek · derived fromᾰ̓λληγορῐ́ᾱ“figurative or metaphorical language”
4. Latin · derived fromallēgoria“figurative or metaphorical language, allegory; parable”
5. Middle French · derived fromallegorie“narrative with a hidden meaning; such a meaning or its interpretation”
6. Anglo-Norman · derived fromallegorie
7. Middle English · inherited fromallegorie“symbolic interpretation; symbolism; (Christianity) one of the four methods of interpreting the Bible”
8. English todayallegory

The noun is derived from Late Middle English allegorie (“symbolic interpretation; symbolism; (Christianity) one of the four methods of interpreting the Bible”) + English -y (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state). Allegorie is borrowed from Anglo-Norman allegorie and Middle French allegorie (“narrative with a hidden meaning; such a meaning or its interpretation”) (modern French allégorie), and directly from their etymon Latin allēgoria (“figurative or metaphorical language, allegory; parable”) (whence Late Latin allēgoria (“allegorical interpretation of the Bible”)), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓λληγορῐ́ᾱ (ăllēgorĭ́ā, “figurative or metaphorical language”), probably from ἀλληγόρος (allēgóros, “allegorical”) (though only attested in Medieval Greek) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Ἀλληγορος (Allēgoros) is derived from ᾰ̓́λλος (ắllos, “another; different”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“beyond; other”)) + ἠγόρ- (ēgór-, the imperfect stem of ἀγορεύω (agoreúō, “to speak in the assembly; to say, speak”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming certain inflections of adjectives); and ἀγορεύω (agoreúō) from ᾰ̓γορᾱ́ (ăgorā́, “assembly; assembly place; market place; speech”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ger- (“flock, herd; to gather”)) + -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming verbs). The verb is derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots