Vale
/veɪl/noun
A literary word meaning either a valley or a formal farewell, especially in the phrase “vale.”
Did you know?In Latin, vale was the imperative of valēre, “to be strong or well,” so saying vale was essentially wishing someone strength as they departed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wal-
“To be strong or powerful; the reconstructed root behind Latin valēre.”
Classical Latin
Latin
valē
“Be well, be strong; an imperative used as a farewell.”
Classical Latin
Latin
vallis
“A valley or enclosed lowland; the source of the separate geographic sense of vale.”
Old French
Old French
val
“A valley, derived from Latin vallis.”
Middle English
English
vale
“A valley; the word also entered literary English as a formal farewell from Latin vale.”
Modern English
English
vale
“A poetic valley or a solemn farewell, often used in expressions such as “vale, my friend.””