This spelling, corresponding to abridge, was once the prevailing one.
Al`le*ga"tion (&?;), n. [L. allegatio, fr. allegare, allegatum, to send a message, cite; later, to free by giving reasons; ad + legare to send, commission. Cf. Allege and Adlegation.] 1. The act of alleging or positively asserting.
2. That which is alleged, asserted, or declared; positive assertion; formal averment
I thought their allegation but reasonable.
Steele.
3. (Law) A statement by a party of what he undertakes to prove, -- usually applied to each separate averment; the charge or matter undertaken to be proved.
Al*lege" (l*lj"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alleged (-ljd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Alleging.] [OE. aleggen to bring forward as evidence, OF. esligier to buy, prop. to free from legal difficulties, fr. an assumed LL. exlitigare; L. ex + litigare to quarrel, sue (see Litigate). The word was confused with L. allegare (see Allegation), and lex law. Cf. Allay.] 1. To bring forward with positiveness; to declare; to affirm; to assert; as, to allege a fact.