An archaic or variant spelling of 'alow,' meaning in the lower part of a ship.
Middle English and Old English variant of 'alow,' showing how maritime terms had multiple accepted spellings. The '-e' ending is typical of Early Modern English.
Old sailing logs show 'alowe,' 'alow,' and 'alowe' used interchangeably—standardized spelling didn't exist yet, so even technical terms wandered. It's like watching English before it got a spell-checker.
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