wale

wale · noun, verb¹

1. Middle English · inherited fromwālen
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*welH-“to turn, wind, roll”
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*waluz“stick, root”
4. Old English · inherited fromwalu“ridge, bank; rib, comb (of helmet); metal ridge on top of helmet; weal, mark of a blow”
5. Middle English · inherited fromwāle“planking, welt”
6. English todaywale

The noun is from Middle English wāle (“planking, welt”), from Old English walu (“ridge, bank; rib, comb (of helmet); metal ridge on top of helmet; weal, mark of a blow”), from Proto-Germanic *waluz (“stick, root”), from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”). Akin to Low German wāle; Old Norse vala (“knuckle”). The verb is from late Middle English wālen, from the noun.

wale · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*welh₁-“to choose, want”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*walą
3. Old Norse · derived fromval“choice”
4. Middle English · inherited fromwale
5. English todaywale

From Middle English wale, wal, from Old Norse val (“choice”), from Proto-Germanic *walą, *walō (“desire, choice”), from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose, want”). Akin to Old Norse velja (“to choose”), Old High German wala "choice" (German Wahl "choice"), Old English willan (“to want”). More at will.

Wale · proper noun³

1. Amharic · derived fromዋለ“to spend the day”
2. Old English · derived fromwalu“mark from a blow”
3. Middle English · derived fromwale“goodly, amazing”
4. Old English · derived fromwealh“Welshman”
5. English todayWale

* English surname of Norman origin, from the Anglo-Norman personal name Wale, of Germanic origin, from the name Walo, a byname meaning "foreigner" (see Wallace). This is also from the related Old English wealh (“Welshman”). * Also as an English surname, from Middle English wale (“goodly, amazing”). * Also as an English surname, from Middle English wale (“riverbank”), from Old English walu (“mark from a blow”). * Also as an English surname, variant of Whale, Wheal, which is from Middle English wel (“happy”) or wele (“pool”). * Also as an English surname, from the noun wheel or a nickname from weevil. * As an Ethiopian surname, from a name derived from Amharic ዋለ (walä, “to spend the day”).

Words from the same roots