Where does “dale” come from?

Dale comes from Middle English dale, Old English dæl, Proto-Germanic dailiz, and Proto-Indo-European dʰol-, a root of uncertain original meaning.

dale (English): A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area; A...

Definitions

  1. A valley, often in an otherwise hilly area; A...

Ancestry of “dale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdaleA dale or valley; A hole or barrow
2Old Englishdælpart; valley
3Proto-West Germanicdailipart
4Proto-Germanicdailizpart, portion, deal
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰayl-part, watershed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰayl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic dailiz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic daili →