alegiaunce

Middle English

Alternative forms

• alegeaunce, allegence, aliegiaunce, a-ligeaunce, alligiaunce

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman alegaunce (“loyalty of a liege-servant to one's lord”), a modification of legaunce influenced by other words starting with the prefix a-. Equivalent to a- +‎ legiaunce.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˌleːˈdʒa(u̯)ns(ə)/, /aˌliːˈdʒa(u̯)ns(ə)/, /aˈleːdʒa(u̯)ns(ə)/, /aˈliːdʒa(u̯)ns(ə)/

Noun

alegiaunce (uncountable) (uncommon)

1. Allegiance, loyalty (including duty and responsibility to one's feudal superior).

   Synonym: legiaunce

2. The power exercised or available to a feudal liege or superior.

   Synonym: legiaunce

Usage notes

• Middle English stress retraction would have regularly led to first-syllable stress; pronunciations with second-syllable stress are probably due to the influence of the more common legiaunce.

Descendants

• English: allegiance
• Scots: allegiance

References

• “alliǧeaunce, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-28.