*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of allow

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin laus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-Euro

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

To let one have as a suitable share of something. · To present something as possible or reasonable. · To permit, to give permission to. · To not bar or obstruct.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin laus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin laudō Latin allaudō Old French aloer ▲ Latin ad- Proto-Indo-European *stel-der.? Proto-Italic *s(t)lokos Old Latin stlocus Latin locus ▲ Latin -ō Latin locō Latin allocō Old French aloer Anglo-Norman alouerbor. Middle English allowen English allow From Middle English allowen, alowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman allouer, alouer, from Medieval Latin allaudāre, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocō (“to assign”). Doublet of allaud (via allaudāre) or allocate (via allocāre). The similarity with Middle English alyfen (from Old English ālīefan) and German erlauben, both from Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijaną (“to allow”), is coincidental.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 9 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:allowen<ety:bor<xno:alouer<ety:from<fro:aloer<id:allaudare>><fro:aloer<id:allocare>>>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nLatin laus\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nLatin laudō\nLatin allaudō\nOld French aloer\n▲\nLatin ad-\nProto-Indo-European *stel-der.?\nProto-Italic *s(t)lokos\nOld Latin stlocus\nLatin locus\n▲\nLatin -ō\nLatin locō\nLatin allocō\nOld French aloer\nAnglo-Norman alouerbor.\nMiddle English allowen\nEnglish allow\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"allaudare\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"at\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂éd\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*ad-\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ad-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"gloss\" : \"praise\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"praise, commendation\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"laus\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ājō\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suf\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\", \"pos\" : \"suffix originally used to form collective nouns, extended in Late PIE to also be a marker of feminine gender\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-éh₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"intransitive verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"influ.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Influenced by\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂ti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"influence\" } ], \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āō\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ō\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"laudō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"allaudō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"aloer\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"id\" : \"allocare\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"itc-pro:*ad-<id:to>\", \"id\" : \"to\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"ad-\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"place, location\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"gloss\" : \"to put, place, locate\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*stel-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*s(t)lokos\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old Latin\", \"term\" : \"stlocus\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"itc-ola\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"locus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"itc-pro:*-āō<id:suf>\", \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ō\", \"lang\" : \"la\", \"pos\" : \"verbal suffix\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"locō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"allocō\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"aloer\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Anglo-Norman\", \"term\" : \"alouer\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"xno\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"allowen\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"allow\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"allow\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "allowen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English allowen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "allouer"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglo-Norman allouer"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "allaudō",
        "4": "allaudāre"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin allaudāre"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "allocō",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to assign"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin allocō (“to assign”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "allaud"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of allaud"
    },
    {
      "name": "noncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "alyfen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English alyfen"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "ālīefan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English ālīefan"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "erlauben"
      },
      "expansion": "German erlauben"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gem-pro",
        "2": "*uzlaubijaną",
        "t": "to allow"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijaną (“to allow”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:allowen<ety:bor<xno:alouer<ety:from<fro:aloer<id:allaudare>><fro:aloer<id:allocare>>>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂éd\nProto-Italic *ad\nProto-Italic *ad-\nLatin ad-\nLatin laus\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nLatin laudō\nLatin allaudō\nOld French aloer\n▲\nLatin ad-\nProto-Indo-European *stel-der.?\nProto-Italic *s(t)lokos\nOld Latin stlocus\nLatin locus\n▲\nLatin -ō\nLatin locō\nLatin allocō\nOld French aloer\nAnglo-Norman alouerbor.\nMiddle English allowen\nEnglish allow"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂éd",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂éd#Proto-Indo-European:_at"
    ],
    [
      "*ad",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "*ad-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/ad-#Proto-Italic:_to"
    ],
    [
      "ad-",
      "ad-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "laus",
      "laus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-éh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂ti"
    ],
    [
      "*-āō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-āō#Proto-Italic:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "laudō",
      "laudo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "allaudō",
      "allaudo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "aloer",
      "aloer#Old_French:_allaudare"
    ],
    [
      "ad-",
      "ad-#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*stel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/stel-"
    ],
    [
      "*s(t)lokos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/s(t)lokos"
    ],
    [
      "stlocus",
      "stlocus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "locus",
      "locus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "locō",
      "loco#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "allocō",
      "alloco#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "aloer",
      "aloer#Old_French:_allocare"
    ],
    [
      "alouer",
      "alouer#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "allowen",
      "allowen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "allowen",
      "allowen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "alowen",
      "alowen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "allouer",
      "allouer#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "alouer",
      "alouer#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "allaudāre",
      "allaudo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "alouer",
      "alouer#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "allocō",
      "alloco#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "allaud",
      "allaud#English"
    ],
    [
      "allaudāre",
      "allaudare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "allocate",
      "allocate#English"
    ],
    [
      "allocāre",
      "allocare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "alyfen",
      "alyfen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ālīefan",
      "aliefan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "erlauben",
      "erlauben#German"
    ],
    [
      "*uzlaubijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/uzlaubijaną"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To let one have as a suitable share of something.",
        "To present something as possible or reasonable.",
        "To permit, to give permission to.",
        "To not bar or obstruct."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ditransitive",
        "intransitive",
        "catenative",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "4f08303d5ef3e811199c228416daa8b3a1bfd5d51c6f3637fbadfe67824d837c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0b18ed79c21f5cdf69ad2fb0726bda056cb3b2895532e94b74e354264c17425a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 174472
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 9,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for allow →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YWxsb3c