allowed

The word 'allowed' traces its lineage to a fascinating confluence of Latin roots. Its ultimate ancestor is the Latin verb 'laudare', meaning 'to praise', combined with the prefix 'ad-' (to). This formed 'allaudare', 'to commend'. In medieval legal and administrative Latin, a related verb, 'allocare' (to place, allocate), influenced its meaning. As the term passed through Anglo-French ('alouer') into Middle English, its sense shifted from assigning praise or value to granting permission or admitting the validity of something. The modern adjective 'allowed', meaning 'permitted', is a direct inheritance of this evolved meaning, now fully detached from its original context of praise.

This word is a simplex form. It is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'allow'. The verb 'allow' entered Middle English from Anglo-French 'alouer', which was based on Latin 'allaudare' meaning 'to praise' (from 'ad-' 'to' + 'laudare' 'to praise') and was influenced in sense by Latin 'allocare' 'to place'. The modern sense of 'permit' developed in English.