Vale

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /veɪl/

Definitions

1. A valley or hollow, especially one that is broad and flat
2. A broad depression in the landscape between mountains, often fertile and suitable for farming or habitation
3. A low area of land surrounded by higher terrain, typically characterized by its lush vegetation and agricultural potential

Etymology: The noun "vale" has a surprising twin. Its ancestor is the Latin "vallis", meaning valley, which passed into Middle English through Old French "val" and displaced the native Old English word "dell" in the sense of a low, broad valley. Its pronunciation, /veɪl/, is the modern form, and it sits quite apart from the word that means "farewell." That second word is the one that makes this entry worth a second look. "Vale" in the sense of a parting goodbye comes from the Latin "valē", the singular imperative of "valeō", meaning "be well" or "be strong." Latin speakers used it as a farewell much as English speakers say "be well," and it came into English as a borrowed word for taking leave. The two words share no meaning, only the spelling and a common sound in their modern forms, so they are a pair of unrelated homographs that happen to look identical on the page.

Synonyms: valley, dale, glen