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alligantia

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word alligantia

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1325, a letter of Edward II
Ultimate origin
Latin alligō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin alligo
French rallier
English rally
Latin alligantia

Forms

alligantia f (genitive alligantiae); first declension[1][2] Also spelled allegantia and allingantia.[3] British documents also have aligancia and allegancia.[4]

Etymology

It is a Medieval Latin noun from Latin alligō (“to bind to, tie”) + -antia.[3][2] Köbler records it from 1337 on, after Latham.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The earliest dated example in the British sources is a letter of Edward II of England to the king of Portugal in 1325, where it means a marriage tie: the king writes that such alligantiae between their children should not be negotiated without more envoys present.[4][5]

Semantic evolution

The word belongs to medieval diplomatic and legal language.[1][4] Besides a marriage tie, it meant a political alliance or league,[1][5] and in British records also a bond or obligation, a conspiracy, and a faction or group of allies and dependants.[4] Du Cange gives the political and the matrimonial sense as two numbered articles, both rendered by French alliance.[5]

It was used in the same sense in Hungary and Poland: a Hungarian document of 1416 promises friendship, alligantiae and confederations with the king of England and France,[6] and a Polish one of 1510 speaks of perpetual alligantiae made with King Sigismund.[2]

Timeline

  • 1325 – A letter of Edward II uses it of a marriage tie between royal children.[4][5]
  • 1337 – It is used of alliances and treaties in Scottish records.[4][3]
  • 1345 – A royal letter pairs it with conspiracies.[4]
  • 1356 – It means a bond or obligation in a quitclaim.[4]
  • 1416 – A Hungarian document uses it of a league with the king of England.[6]
  • 1510 – A Polish document uses it of a perpetual alliance.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A bond, obligation.[4]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A marriage tie, an alliance by marriage.[1][4][5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A political alliance, league.[1][4][5][6][2]
  4. (Medieval Latin) A conspiracy.[4]
  5. (Medieval Latin) A faction, a group of allies or dependants.[4]
  • confoederātiō

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  2. ^ a b c d e Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  6. ^ a b c Bartal, Antal, et al. (1987–), Lexicon Latinitatis Medii Aevi Hungariae, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online ed. ELTE
Cite this entry

“Alligantia.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/alligantia. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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