pale etymology

Etymology:

  • Old English "pal" (adjective) and "palan" (verb)
  • Middle English "pale" (adjective and verb)
  • From Old French "pale" (adjective) and "palir" (verb)
  • Ultimately derived from the Latin verb "pallere" ("to be pale")

Meaning:

Adjective:

  • Lacking color or saturation
  • Having a light or whitish hue
  • Faint or weak
  • Dull or lacking in spirit

Verb:

  • To make or become pale
  • To lose color or brightness
  • To fade or grow dim

Origin:

The Proto-Indo-European root "*bhel-" meant "white" or "pale." This root evolved into the Latin word "pallere," which referred to the pale color of a corpse. The Old French "pale" borrowed from the Latin "pallere," and the word was eventually borrowed into English in the 13th century.

Extended Meanings:

  • In heraldry: A vertical band on a shield
  • In religion: A garment worn by priests to signify mourning or repentance
  • In anatomy: A boundary between tissues or organs
  • In geography: A light-colored band in a landscape or on the ocean

pale relate terms

  • pallid

    Etymology From Old French palide from Latin pallidus meaning pale Meaning

  • pale

    Etymology Old English pal adjective and palan verb Middle English pale adjec

  • pallor

    Etymology Latin palleo meaning to be pale Meaning A lack of color or vitalit

  • pole

    Etymology The word pole derives from the following roots Middle English pol Old

  • palace

    Etymology The word palace comes from the Latin word palatium which originally referr

  • palisade

    Etymology The word palisade comes from the French pallisade which in turn comes from

  • picket

    Etymology Middle English piket from Middle Dutch pikeet from Late Latin picquetum fr

  • bleak

    Etymology Old English blǣc pale dark black Meaning Unrelievedly depress

  • pallor

    Etymology Latin palleo meaning to be pale Meaning A lack of color or vitalit

  • blemish

    Etymology The word blemish derives from the Old French word blemisse which in turn

  • palomino

    Etymology The word palomino is derived from the Spanish word paloma meaning dove

  • blench

    Etymology The word blench has its origins in the Old English word blanch which also

  • sprit

    Etymology The word sprit has two distinct etymologies 1 From Old French Espe o

  • strip

    Etymology The word strip has several etymological roots Old English stripian or