Dale (origin)
Encyclopedia
A dale is an open valley
. The name is used when describing the physical geography
of an area. It is used most frequently in the Lowlands of Scotland
and in the North of England
, where the term "fell
" commonly refers to the mountain
s or hill
s that flank the dale.
The word dale comes from the Old English word dael, from which the word "dell
" is also derived. It is also related to Old Norse
word dalr (and the modern Icelandic
word dalur), which may perhaps have influenced its survival in northern England. Dale is a synonym
to the word valley
, which entered the English language after the Norman Conquest. Norwegian towns frequently use this term: dalekvam, dale.
There is semantic equivalency to many words and phrases, suggesting a common Indo-European
affinity.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
. The name is used when describing the physical geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
of an area. It is used most frequently in the Lowlands of Scotland
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
and in the North of England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, where the term "fell
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
" commonly refers to the mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s or hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
s that flank the dale.
The word dale comes from the Old English word dael, from which the word "dell
Dell (landform)
In physical geography, a dell is a small wooded valley. Like "dale", the word "dell" is derived from the Old English word dæl.-See also:* Cirque* Combe * Coulee* Dells of the Wisconsin River...
" is also derived. It is also related to Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
word dalr (and the modern Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
word dalur), which may perhaps have influenced its survival in northern England. Dale is a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
to the word valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
, which entered the English language after the Norman Conquest. Norwegian towns frequently use this term: dalekvam, dale.
There is semantic equivalency to many words and phrases, suggesting a common Indo-European
Indo-Iranian languages
The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It consists of three language groups: the Indo-Aryan, Iranian and Nuristani...
affinity.
| Word/phrase | Language |
|---|---|
| dal | Dutch |
| das Tal | German |
| dal | Norwegian |
| даліна (dalina) | Bulgarian |
| долина (dolina) | Russian |