Etymology: < Anglo-Norman allegger, aleger, alleger, alegger (transitive) to allege or claim, to introduce, to cite or invoke (as evidence or as protection), to repudiate, (intransitive) to plead or intercede (13th cent.), probably showing specific sense developments of Old French alegier to clear (someone) of an accusation (12th cent.), itself probably a specific sense of alegier , aleger allege v.² The Anglo-Norman verb was probably influenced semantically by association either with post-classical Latin senses of classical Latin allēgāre (see allegate v.) or with the borrowing of this Latin verb shown by Old French, Middle French alleguer , aleguer (French alléguer ), which shows a similar range of meanings (to cite, invoke, affirm, assert, maintain, claim). The same identification with classical Latin allēgāre , and with allegate v., is evident in the uses of allege v.¹ in English. Compare also allege v.³ The Anglo-Norman verb may also have been influenced by association with another verb of distinct origin, Anglo-Norman alaier , aleier , allaier to declare on oath, to free oneself from guilt (probably 12th cent.), to prove by oath, to acquit oneself by oath, to declare on oath, to swear one’s innocence (14th cent. or earlier), probably < a- a- prefix⁵ + lei , lai law (see lay n.³; compare Old Occitan aleiar to swear on oath). Borrowing of this verb into English is probably shown by allay v.², although this seems also to have been regarded as semantically equivalent both to allege v.¹ and to classical Latin allēgāre and allegate v. It is possible that the identification of allay v.² with allege v.¹ was encouraged by the formal variation shown by (unrelated) allay v.¹ (see further discussion at that entry). Compare post-classical Latin adlegiare to admit as accuser, to clear by oath or ordeal (12th cent. in British sources), which may be modelled on Anglo-Norman alaier, but may also show semantic influence from other verbs mentioned above.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman alegger, allegger, alajer, alejer, Anglo-Norman and Middle French aleger, alleger, alegier, allegier (French alléger ) to lighten, make less heavy or burdensome, alleviate, to relieve (pain or a person in pain) (12th cent. in Old French; in Anglo-Norman also to reduce, commute (a sentence), to enfranchise, free, release; compare also discussion at allege v.¹) < post-classical Latin alleviare alleviate v. Compare Old Occitan aleujar (12th cent.), Catalan alleujar (14th cent.), Spanish aliviar (13th cent.; in early use also alleviar ), Portuguese aliviar (13th cent.), also ( < French) Italian alleggiare (c1250). Compare earlier allegeance n.¹In sense 1 the word showed partial overlap in form and meaning with allay v.¹, which in Middle English showed two form types in the present stem, alegge and aleye (see further discussion of these at allay v.¹). In cases where the meanings overlap, examples have been placed at this entry if they show any of the following characteristics: (i) if they show a past tense or past participle of the type aleged (rather than aleyed ); (ii) if they show 2nd and 3rd singular present forms of the type alegest , alegeth (rather than aleyest , aleyeth ); (iii) if they gloss or translate post-classical Latin alleviare ; (iv) if they date from the mid 15th cent. or later, by which time the alley , allay forms appear to have been levelled in all parts of the paradigm of allay v.¹ consistently. All other examples have been placed at allay v.¹ However, none of these are completely infallible criteria, and in many individual instances it must remain uncertain which verb a particular example shows.

Etymology: Either (i) < classical Latin allēgāre allegate v. (in the specific sense ‘to lay (prayers) before’) with remodelling of the ending by association with allege v.¹, or (ii) a specific sense of allege v.¹ after classical Latin allēgāre allegate v.