From Old French 'alouer' (to approve), blending Latin 'allaudāre' (praise) and 'allocāre' (place), evolving from approval to permission.
To give permission for something to happen; to permit.
From Old French 'alouer' meaning 'to approve,' blending two Latin verbs: 'allaudāre' (to praise) and 'allocāre' (to place, assign). The permission sense grew from the approval sense. Key roots: laudāre (Latin: "to praise"), locāre (Latin: "to place").
The word merged two Latin verbs — one meaning 'to praise' and one meaning 'to place' — which is why 'allowance' can mean both permission and a monetary allocation.