Where does “pale” come from?

Pale comes from Middle English pale, from Old French pale, from Latin palus meaning stake or palisade, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- meaning to fasten or drive in.

pale (English): Light in color; Having a pallor; Feeble, faint

Definitions

  1. Light in color; Having a pallor; Feeble, faint

Ancestry of “pale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpale—
2Old Frenchpal—
3Latinpālusswamp, marsh, morass, bog, fen, pool
4Proto-Italicpākslos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-slos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂ǵ-to attach

Words derived from “pale”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂ǵ-slos →Every word from Proto-Italic pākslos →