Etymograph

English

ally

Ally comes from Middle English allien ‘to ally’, from Latin adligō ‘to bind around, to, or up (something),…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyǵ-1‘to bind, tie’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEligō1‘to bind, tie’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadligō1‘to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalligāre1
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400alier1
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500allien1‘to ally’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577ally1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English ally
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1577, Peter de la Place i.e. Pierre de la Plac, Of the Excellencie of a Christian Man, and the Way to Knowe : “To be ſhort, hauing thus ingrafted them into the…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyǵ-Wiktionary, English ally‘to bind, tie’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEligōWiktionary, English ally‘to bind, tie’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEadligōWiktionary, English ally‘to bind around, to, or up (something), bandage, fasten, fetter, tie’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalligāreWiktionary, English ally
  5. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400alierWiktionary, English ally
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500allienWiktionary, English ally‘to ally’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1577allyWiktionary, English ally. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1577, Peter de la Place i.e. Pierre de la Plac, Of the Excellencie of a Christian Man, and the Way to Knowe : “To be ſhort, hauing thus ingrafted them into the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- ‘to bind, tie’

obligation, oblige, 12 more

through Latin ligō ‘to bind, tie’

league, religious, religion, liable, liaison, ligament, lien, ligand, alloy, ligature, religiosity, obligate, liaise, ligation, legato, 13 more

Another origin of ally

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*leyǵ-‘to bind’uncertain
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEligō‘tie, bind up or together’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEalligō‘to bind to, up or around something, tie, fetter, fasten’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400alier‘to unite’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500allien‘to ally’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500allie‘the state of having marital or family relations or linkage’
  7. Englishtodayally

Today it means

verb To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “ally”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- / ally

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