Alw

/ɔːl/ noun

Definition

An archaic or dialectal form of 'all'; used in Middle English and early modern texts to mean the whole amount or everything.

Etymology

Middle English variant of 'all,' derived from Old English 'eall.' This spelling reflects regional pronunciation variations from before spelling was standardized.

Kelly Says

Before dictionaries standardized English, 'alw,' 'all,' and 'aal' were all acceptable ways to write the same word—imagine if today you could spell it however your accent sounded!

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