allay

English

Alternative forms

• alay (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English alayen, aleyen, aleggen, from Old English āleċġan (“to put, place, lay down, lay aside, throw down, give up, cease from, abandon; put down, allay, suppress, abolish, conquer, destroy, overcome, refute; lay upon, inflict, impose upon; diminish, take away, refuse, lessen, withhold”), from Proto-Germanic *uzlagjaną (“to lay down”), equivalent to a- +‎ lay. Cognate with German erlegen (“to impose, cause to succumb, kill”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (uslagjan, “to lay down”). In Middle English the word was identical to forms of allege and alloy, leading to much overlapping of senses.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈleɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Verb

allay (third-person singular simple present allays, present participle allaying, simple past and past participle allayed)

1. (transitive) To make quiet or put at rest; to pacify or appease; to quell; to calm.

   Synonyms: appease, assuage, compose, soothe, calm, quiet

   to allay popular excitement

   to allay the tumult of the passions

   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstacy, […]

   • 1888, William Morris, Signs of Change […] ‎, London: Reeves and Turner, page 104:

     They were forced to try to allay discontent by palliative measures.

   • 1887, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “A Study in Scarlet”, in Beeton’s Christmas Annual, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock & Co., part I (Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., […]), chapter V (Our Advertisement brings a Visitor), pages 31–32:

     He had to pretend to be drunk in order to allay the suspicions which might have been aroused by his appearance at the gate.

   • 1983, James C. H. Shen, “Dropping the First Shoe”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally‎, Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, page 84:

     Kissinger was obviously doing his best to allay our government's growing apprehension in connection with Nixon's forthcoming trip to Peking.

   • 2020 February 12, Mark Sweney, “Mobile World Congress axed after firms quit over coronavirus fears”, in The Guardian‎:

     The trade show’s organisers had attempted to allay concerns by announcing more stringent health and safety measures including a ban on handshakes, and taking attendees’ temperatures.

2. (transitive) To alleviate; to abate; to mitigate.

   Synonyms: alleviate, abate

   to allay the severity of affliction or the bitterness of adversity

3. (intransitive, obsolete) To subside, abate, become peaceful.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark iiij:

     And the wynde alayed, and there folowed a greate calme: and he sayde unto them: why are ye fearfull?

   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

     For raging wind blows up incessant showers,
     And when the rage allays the rain begins.

4. (archaic) To mix (metals); to mix with a baser metal; to alloy; to deteriorate.
5. (archaic, by extension) To make worse by the introduction of inferior elements.
   • 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warr:

     Yet far be it from us to condemn all their works to be dross, because debased and allayed with superstitious intents […]

Derived terms

• allayable
• allayer
• allayment
• unallayed

Translations

to make quiet or put at rest

Bulgarian: успокоявам (bg) (uspokojavam), уталожвам (bg) (utaložvam) Czech: utišit (cs), uklidnit (cs), rozptýlit pf Dutch: bedaren (nl) Finnish: vaientaa (fi) French: apaiser (fr), pacifier (fr) German: beruhigen (de), dämpfen (de) Greek: κατευνάζω (el) (katevnázo) Hungarian: eloszlat (hu) Maori: whakamahea Portuguese: aquietar (pt) Romanian: astâmpăra (ro), alina (ro) Spanish: aquietar (es), calmar (es) Welsh: tawelu

to alleviate

Bulgarian: облекчавам (bg) (oblekčavam), смекчавам (bg) (smekčavam) Czech: zmírnit pf, utišit (cs) pf Finnish: lieventää (fi), lievittää (fi) French: soulager (fr) German: erleichtern (de), lindern (de) Greek: ανακουφίζω (el) (anakoufízo), κατευνάζω (el) (katevnázo) Hungarian: enyhít (hu), csillapít (hu) Maori: whakamauru Portuguese: aliviar (pt) Romanian: alina (ro) Spanish: aliviar (es), mitigar (es)

Noun

allay (plural allays)

1. Alleviation; abatement; check.
2. (obsolete) An alloy.

References

• “allay”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• yalla, Layla

Quechua

Noun

allay

1. harvest or digging up of potatoes or tubers

Declension

Declension of allay

	singular	plural
nominative	allay	allaykuna
accusative	allayta	allaykunata
dative	allayman	allaykunaman
genitive	allaypa	allaykunap
locative	allaypi	allaykunapi
terminative	allaykama	allaykunakama
ablative	allaymanta	allaykunamanta
instrumental	allaywan	allaykunawan
comitative	allaynintin	allaykunantin
abessive	allayninnaq	allaykunannaq
comparative	allayhina	allaykunahina
causative	allayrayku	allaykunarayku
benefactive	allaypaq	allaykunapaq
associative	allaypura	allaykunapura
distributive	allayninka	allaykunanka
exclusive	allaylla	allaykunalla

Possessive forms of allay

ñuqap - first-person singular ñuqap (my) singular plural nominative allayniy allayniykuna accusative allayniyta allayniykunata dative allayniyman allayniykunaman genitive allayniypa allayniykunap locative allayniypi allayniykunapi terminative allayniykama allayniykunakama ablative allayniymanta allayniykunamanta instrumental allayniywan allayniykunawan comitative allayniynintin allayniykunantin abessive allayniyninnaq allayniykunannaq comparative allayniyhina allayniykunahina causative allayniyrayku allayniykunarayku benefactive allayniypaq allayniykunapaq associative allayniypura allayniykunapura distributive allayniyninka allayniykunanka exclusive allayniylla allayniykunalla qampa - second-person singular qampa (your) singular plural nominative allayniyki allayniykikuna accusative allayniykita allayniykikunata dative allayniykiman allayniykikunaman genitive allayniykipa allayniykikunap locative allayniykipi allayniykikunapi terminative allayniykikama allayniykikunakama ablative allayniykimanta allayniykikunamanta instrumental allayniykiwan allayniykikunawan comitative allayniykintin allayniykikunantin abessive allayniykinnaq allayniykikunannaq comparative allayniykihina allayniykikunahina causative allayniykirayku allayniykikunarayku benefactive allayniykipaq allayniykikunapaq associative allayniykipura allayniykikunapura distributive allayniykinka allayniykikunanka exclusive allayniykilla allayniykikunalla paypa - third-person singular paypa (his/her/its) singular plural nominative allaynin allayninkuna accusative allayninta allayninkunata dative allayninman allayninkunaman genitive allayninpa allayninkunap locative allayninpi allayninkunapi terminative allayninkama allayninkunakama ablative allayninmanta allayninkunamanta instrumental allayninwan allayninkunawan comitative allayninintin allayninkunantin abessive allayninninnaq allayninkunannaq comparative allayninhina allayninkunahina causative allayninrayku allayninkunarayku benefactive allayninpaq allayninkunapaq associative allayninpura allayninkunapura distributive allaynininka allayninkunanka exclusive allayninlla allayninkunalla ñuqanchikpa - first-person inclusive plural ñuqanchikpa (our(incl)) singular plural nominative allayninchik allayninchikkuna accusative allayninchikta allayninchikkunata dative allayninchikman allayninchikkunaman genitive allayninchikpa allayninchikkunap locative allayninchikpi allayninchikkunapi terminative allayninchikkama allayninchikkunakama ablative allayninchikmanta allayninchikkunamanta instrumental allayninchikwan allayninchikkunawan comitative allayninchiknintin allayninchikkunantin abessive allayninchikninnaq allayninchikkunannaq comparative allayninchikhina allayninchikkunahina causative allayninchikrayku allayninchikkunarayku benefactive allayninchikpaq allayninchikkunapaq associative allayninchikpura allayninchikkunapura distributive allayninchikninka allayninchikkunanka exclusive allayninchiklla allayninchikkunalla ñuqaykup - first-person exclusive plural ñuqaykup (our(excl)) singular plural nominative allayniyku allayniykukuna accusative allayniykuta allayniykukunata dative allayniykuman allayniykukunaman genitive allayniykupa allayniykukunap locative allayniykupi allayniykukunapi terminative allayniykukama allayniykukunakama ablative allayniykumanta allayniykukunamanta instrumental allayniykuwan allayniykukunawan comitative allayniykuntin allayniykukunantin abessive allayniykunnaq allayniykukunannaq comparative allayniykuhina allayniykukunahina causative allayniykurayku allayniykukunarayku benefactive allayniykupaq allayniykukunapaq associative allayniykupura allayniykukunapura distributive allayniykunka allayniykukunanka exclusive allayniykulla allayniykukunalla qamkunap - second-person plural qamkunap (your(pl)) singular plural nominative allayniykichik allayniykichikkuna accusative allayniykichikta allayniykichikkunata dative allayniykichikman allayniykichikkunaman genitive allayniykichikpa allayniykichikkunap locative allayniykichikpi allayniykichikkunapi terminative allayniykichikkama allayniykichikkunakama ablative allayniykichikmanta allayniykichikkunamanta instrumental allayniykichikwan allayniykichikkunawan comitative allayniykichiknintin allayniykichikkunantin abessive allayniykichikninnaq allayniykichikkunannaq comparative allayniykichikhina allayniykichikkunahina causative allayniykichikrayku allayniykichikkunarayku benefactive allayniykichikpaq allayniykichikkunapaq associative allayniykichikpura allayniykichikkunapura distributive allayniykichikninka allayniykichikkunanka exclusive allayniykichiklla allayniykichikkunalla paykunap - third-person plural paykunap (their) singular plural nominative allayninku allayninkukuna accusative allayninkuta allayninkukunata dative allayninkuman allayninkukunaman genitive allayninkupa allayninkukunap locative allayninkupi allayninkukunapi terminative allayninkukama allayninkukunakama ablative allayninkumanta allayninkukunamanta instrumental allayninkuwan allayninkukunawan comitative allayninkuntin allayninkukunantin abessive allayninkunnaq allayninkukunannaq comparative allayninkuhina allayninkukunahina causative allayninkurayku allayninkukunarayku benefactive allayninkupaq allayninkukunapaq associative allayninkupura allayninkukunapura distributive allayninkunka allayninkukunanka exclusive allayninkulla allayninkukunalla

Verb

allay

1. (transitive) to dig, dig up, dig out, excavate; to harvest tubers

Conjugation

Conjugation of allay

infinitive		allay
agentive		allaq
present participle		allaspa
past participle		allasqa
future participle		allana
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person inclusive	1st person exclusive	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		ñuqa	qam	pay	ñuqanchik	ñuqayku	qamkuna	paykuna
	present	allani	allanki	allan	allanchik	allayku allaniku1	allankichik	allanku
	past (experienced)	allarqani	allarqanki	allarqan	allarqanchik	allarqayku allarqaniku	allarqankichik	allarqanku
	past (reported)	allasqani	allasqanki	allasqan	allasqanchik	allasqayku allasqaniku	allasqankichik	allasqanku
	future	allasaq	allanki	allanqa	allasunchik	allasaqku	allankichik	allanqaku
imperative		—	qam	pay	ñuqanchik	—	qamkuna	paykuna
	affirmative	—	allay	allachun	allasun2 allasunchik	—	allaychik	allachunku
	negative	—	ama allaychu	ama allachunchu	ama allasunchu ama allasunchikchu	—	ama allaychikchu	ama allachunkuchu

¹ The conjugation -niku is only for the Ayacucho-Chanca variety.
² The form -sun refers to "you and I together", while the form -sunchik refers to "you and I and other people".

See also

• aymuray
• pallay