Where does “vale” come from?
Vale comes from Latin vale, the imperative form of valēre meaning "be strong," itself from Latin vallis meaning "valley," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁-.
vale (English): A valley; Farewell
Definitions
- A valley; Farewell
Ancestry of “vale”, step by step
vale traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English vale
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | vale | valley depression between hills |
| 2 | Old French | val | valley |
| 3 | Latin | vallis | valley, vale; hollow; dative plural of vāllum |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | to roll, to undulate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |
via Latin valē
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | valē | goodbye, farewell |
| 2 | Latin | valeō | to have strength, influence, power; to avail |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | walēō | to be strong |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |