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 […] ‎^[1], London: Reeves and Turner, page 104:

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

   • 1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet. A Detective Story, 3rd edition, London, New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock, Bowden, and Co., […], published 1892, →OCLC:

     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^[2], 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^[3]:

     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)
• 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)
• 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