Pales
/peɪlz/noun
Becomes less bright, vivid, or intense in color, or appears less impressive by comparison.
Did you know?The verb pale descends from Latin pallēre, “to be pale,” a word historically associated with the bloodless appearance of fear, sickness, and death.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“To be pale or have a light, wan color; the reconstructed source is debated in detail.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pallēre
“To be pale or grow pale.”
Classical Latin
Latin
pallidus
“Pale, wan, or lacking color.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
pale
“Pale or light-colored.”
Middle English
English
pale
“Pale, wan, or lacking the normal color of the face.”
Modern English
English
pales
“Third-person singular present form of pale: becomes less vivid or impressive.”