the.com/ally
The friend who shows up when standing next to you actually costs them something.
means A person, group, or nation that joins with another for mutual support, especially in a struggle or conflict.
from From Latin 'alligare,' to bind to — 'ad-' (to) plus 'ligare' (to tie), the same 'ligare' that gives us 'ligament' and 'oblige.' The word reached English through Old French 'alier,' so an ally is, quite literally, someone bound to you. The binding is the whole point.
- latin root
- From alligare, meaning to bind together
- wartime weight
- Allied alliances reshaped both world wars
- not a noun
- Best understood as a verb you keep doing
- chess parallel
- The strongest alliances expect nothing in return
for instance
nato — military alliance of 31 member states including the us, uk, and france, founded 1949
united states and israel — strategic partnership with $3.8 billion annual us military aid since 1985
france and germany — post-ww2 alliance that formed the basis of the european union in 1957