allegiance

An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology The word allegiance comes from Middle English (see Medieval Latin , "a liegance"). The al- prefix was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an "allegation" (the French comes from the English). Allegiance is formed from "liege," from Old French , "liege, free", of Germanic origin. The connection with Latin , "to bind," is erroneous. Usage Traditionally, English legal commentators used the term allegiance in two ways. In one sense, it referred to the deference which anyone, even foreigners, was expected to pay to the institutions of the country where one lived. In the other sense, it meant national character and the subjection due to that character. Types Local allegiance Natural allegiance