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

1. a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river