English word origin

Etymology of alow

From Middle English alowe, equivalent to a- + low.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adv

Low down. · Towards the lower part of a vessel; towards the lower rigging or the decks.

prep

Below.

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

From Middle English alowe, equivalent to a- + low.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionaloweenm

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "alowe"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English alowe"
    },
    {
      "name": "prefix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "a",
        "3": "low"
      },
      "expansion": "a- + low"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "alowe",
      "alowe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English"
    ],
    [
      "low",
      "low#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Low down.",
        "Towards the lower part of a vessel; towards the lower rigging or the decks."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "119e7d8d7c80a70931c5691c7bd045bccedce3533099f8c6c94a35138d97ad98",
      "rawRecordSha256": "94dd78b617cd4f2ab509a37b7183f724e5696b39ee617c6a6b52ee49bbda3ebd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 523770
    },
    {
      "pos": "prep",
      "glosses": [
        "Below."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland"
      ],
      "recordId": "bf1d1e87b9aeac1f010eeb18c4a523a709dd9cca1acc7f2c7d6a4d224a593953",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b3c0a34786c445fd554ebb3589370e2558b074a6db387c82657aee642eab9dc0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 523771
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

alight; ablaze

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

From a- + low, from low (“flame”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "prefix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "a",
        "3": "low"
      },
      "expansion": "a- + low"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "a-",
      "a-#English"
    ],
    [
      "low",
      "low#English"
    ],
    [
      "low",
      "low#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "alight; ablaze"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Scotland",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
      "recordId": "875a6987f6fee4b2a498c91dc7e3aeeaa36da81cdff242617a646004bd8454fe",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ab6de5106cd82652dd12e0e6703830ac6ca7ce57a381831316874f4c981e6123",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 523772
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "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 alow →

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-YWxvdw