An archaic or poetic form of 'always,' meaning continuously, forever, or at all times.
From Middle English 'alway' or 'alwey,' originally meaning 'all the way' (literally). Over time, it became one word and meant 'continuously on the way' or 'perpetually.' Modern English simplified this to 'always,' making 'alway' appear outdated.
Reading medieval English texts, you'll see 'alway' everywhere—it's fascinating because people didn't realize they were saying 'all way' (all the way) when they meant 'continuously.' The loss of this word shows how language optimizes itself toward shorter forms.
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