Where does “valley” come from?

Valley comes from Middle English valeye, from Old French valee, from Latin vallis meaning "valley," from Proto-Indo-European wel- meaning "to turn" or "roll."

valley (English): An elongated depression between hills or...

Definitions

  1. An elongated depression between hills or...

Ancestry of “valley”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishvaleyevalley depression between hills
2Old Frenchvaleevalley
3Old Frenchvalvalley
4Latinvallisvalley, vale; hollow; dative plural of vāllum
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwēlH-to roll, to undulate
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwelH-to turn, to wind

Words derived from “valley

Every word from Proto-Indo-European welH-