Dale
/deɪl/noun
A valley, especially a broad, open one.
Did you know?Dale belongs to the same deep Germanic word-family as words for “valley” across the North, and it survives most vividly in English place names like Swaledale and Teesdale.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dalaz
“valley, hollow, or low-lying land”
Old English
OE
dæl
“dale, valley, or low place”
Old Norse
ON
dalr
“valley”
Middle English
ME
dale
“valley, especially in northern dialects”
Modern English
English
dale
“a valley, especially a broad one”