Other forms: allegiances
Allegiance is loyalty owed to a person, a country or a cause. Swear allegiance, an oath of allegiance, shift his allegiance.
An oath of allegiance is required of new citizens in many countries and of members of parliament in Britain, where refusing it means forfeiting the seat. The word comes from liege, and the loyalty it named ran both ways between lord and follower.
1nounallegianceLoyalty owed to a person, a country or a cause.
“New citizens must swear allegiance to their new country at the ceremony.”
allegiance is a loyalty.
Anglo-Norman alegaunce comes from lige, a liege lord or vassal. The bond it named ran in both directions.
Old French
ligeance
Anglo-Norman
alegaunce — loyalty of a liege-servant to one's lord
Middle English
alegiaunce
English, today
allegiance
Built from
From Middle English alegiaunce, from Anglo-Norman alegaunce (“loyalty of a liege-servant to one's lord”), variant of Old French ligeance, from lige (“vassal, liegeman”). More at liege.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA