vale
/'veili/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A valley, especially a broad one: A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river flowing through it. This meaning is now primarily used in poetic or literary contexts, or in place names. 2. (Archaic) Farewell: A word meaning "goodbye" or "farewell," used as an expression of parting.
Usage and Examples
Noun (Valley):
- The cottage was nestled in a peaceful vale, surrounded by rolling hills.
- The river wound its way through the vale, providing water for the farms.
- Place Name Example: The Vale of Glamorgan is a county in Wales.
Noun/Interjection (Farewell - Archaic):
- "And so, my friend, I bid you vale," he said with a bow.
- "Vale!" he cried as the ship sailed away.
Advanced Usage
- "Vale of tears": A poetic or literary idiom referring to the world or life regarded as a place of sorrow and hardship.
- He viewed his time on earth as a journey through a vale of tears.
Variants and Related Words
- Valley (n.): The standard, modern synonym for "vale" in its geographical sense.
- Dale (n.): Another poetic/literary word for a valley, often used in British English.
- Vale of years (idiom, archaic): Refers to old age.
Synonyms
- For "valley": Dale, glen, hollow, strath (Scottish).
- For "farewell": Goodbye, adieu, farewell (itself).
Notes on Usage
- In modern, everyday English, the word "valley" is almost always used instead of "vale" for the geographical feature.
- "Vale" survives actively in poetic language, literature, and many British place names (e.g., Aylesbury Vale, Vale of White Horse).
- The "farewell" meaning is considered archaic and is rarely used outside of historical contexts or deliberate stylistic choices.
Noun
- a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river