Allay Definition

Origin of Allay

• From Middle English alayen, aleyen, aleggen, from Old English ālecgan (“to put, place, lay down, lay aside, throw down, give up, cease from, abandon; put down, allay, suppress, abolish, conquer, destroy, overcome, refute; lay upon, inflict, impose upon; diminish, take away, refuse, lessen, withhold”), from Proto-Germanic *uzlagjaną (“to lay down”), equivalent to a- +‎ lay. Cognate with German erlegen (“to impose, cause to succumb, kill”), Gothic [script?] (uslagjan, “to lay down”). In Middle English the word was identical to forms of allege and alloy, leading to much overlapping of senses. [script?]

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English aleien from Old English ālecgan to lay aside, lay down ā- intensive pref. lecgan to lay lay¹

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition