Plural of aliment; food or nourishment, or in legal contexts, an allowance for support and maintenance.
From Latin alimentum (food, nourishment), derived from alere (to nourish, feed). The plural form maintains the Latin structure and is used in both everyday and legal language.
Ancient Rome actually had laws about 'aliments'—parents could be legally required to provide food and money to support children and elderly relatives, making it one of history's first formal child support systems.
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