allouation

Allouation is an uncommon term in English, appearing mainly in historical or archival texts. In those contexts, it is used to refer to the act of assigning or distributing resources, land, rights, or benefits to individuals or groups. Because the spelling and usage are not standardized, allouation can be seen as a variant or misrendering of more common words such as allocation or allotment.

Etymology and sense. The word is generally traced to the French allouer, meaning to grant or assign, which in turn relates to the Latin allocare, to place or set. In practice, allouation has been employed to describe the formal process by which a governing body, a testator, or an estate administrator designates portions of assets or land to recipients. Its precise sense tends to align with “the act of allotting” or “the act of allocating,” but the term is not widely attested in modern dictionaries.

Usage and modernity. Today, allouation is rarely used in contemporary writing. When expressing the idea of distributing resources or property, writers typically choose allocation, allotment, apportionment, or disbursement, depending on context. Allouation may appear in translations, legal historical documents, or discussions of terminology where the author preserves older or regional spellings.

See also. Allocation, Allotment, Apportionment, Disbursement, Allouer (related verb form).