allay

allay
allay (v.) O.E. alecgan "to put down, remit, give up," a Germanic compound (Cf. Goth. uslagjan, O.H.G. irleccan, Ger. erlegen), from a- "down, aside" + lecgan "to lay" (see LAY (Cf. lay)).
Early Middle English pronunciations of -y- and -g- were not always distinct, and the word was confused in Middle English with various senses of Romanic-derived ALLOY (Cf. alloy) and ALLEGE (Cf. allege), especially the latter in an obsolete sense of "to lighten," from L. ad- "to" + levis (see LEVER (Cf. lever)).
Amid the overlapping of meanings that thus arose, there was developed a perplexing network of uses of allay and allege, that belong entirely to no one of the original vbs., but combine the senses of two or more of them. [OED]
The double -l- is 17c., a mistaken Latinism. Related: Allayed; allaying.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Allay — Al*lay , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Allayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Allaying}.] [OE. alaien, aleggen, to lay down, put down, humble, put an end to, AS. [=a]lecgan; [=a] (cf. Goth. us , G. er , orig. meaning out) + lecgan to lay; but confused with old forms… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Allay — Al*lay , v. t. To diminish in strength; to abate; to subside. When the rage allays. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Allay — Al*lay , n. Alleviation; abatement; check. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Allay — Al*lay , n. Alloy. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Allay — Al*lay , v. t. To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate. [Archaic] Fuller. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • allay — I verb abate, alleviate, appease, assuage, blunt, calm, cause to be still, cause to subside, check, compose, constrain, control, curb, curtail, deaden, decrease, diminish, dull, hush, lenire, lessen, lighten, lull, minimize, mitigare, mitigate,… …   Law dictionary

  • allay — *relieve, alleviate, lighten, assuage, mitigate Analogous words: abate, lessen, *decrease, diminish: mollify, *pacify, appease: *moderate, temper Antonyms: intensify Contrasted words: *provoke, excite, stimulate: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • allay — has inflections allays, allayed, allaying …   Modern English usage

  • allay — [v] reduce something, usually a pain or a problem abate, alleviate, assuage, calm, compose, cool out*, decrease, ease, lessen, lighten, make nice*, mitigate, moderate, mollify, pacify, play up to*, pour oil on*, quiet, square, take the bite out* …   New thesaurus

  • allay — ► VERB 1) diminish or end (fear or concern). 2) alleviate (pain or hunger). ORIGIN Old English, «lay down or aside» …   English terms dictionary

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