allow
UK: əˈlaʊ | US: əˈlaʊ
vt. to permit or give permission for something
vt. to allocate or provide (e.g., time, resources)
vt. to acknowledge or admit (a point in an argument)
allow = al<to> + low<permit>
- al<to>: From Latin ad- (to, toward), assimilated to al- before l.
- low<permit>: From Old French laudare (to praise, approve), influenced by Latin allaudare (to commend).
Etymology Origin:
The word "allow" traces back to Latin allaudare (to approve), blending ad- (toward) and laudare (to praise). Over time, it shifted from "praise" to "permit" in Middle English via Old French alouer. The morpheme al- preserves the directional sense ("to"), while -low reflects the approval or permission logic.
The teacher will allow students to use calculators during the exam.
The budget allows for unexpected expenses.
She allowed that his argument had some merit.
The rules do not allow pets in the building.
Allow the paint to dry completely before touching it.