Valley - Vale Dale

Dell Ravine.

A Valley (Fr. vallée, val; L. vallis, a vale) is the low land between hills or mountains; a low extended plain, usually watered by a river. It is sometimes used figuratively. Ex.: My next desire is, void of care and strife,

To lead a soft, secure unglorious life

A country cottage, near a crystal flood,

A winding valley and a lofty wood.

Christian came to the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

A Vale (Fr. val; L. vallis, a vale) is a more poetical name for valley. It is often used figuratively, for instance, „in this vale of tears."

Ex.: Dear is my little native vale,

The ring-dove builds and murmurs there;

Close by my cot, she tells her tale

To every passing villager.

A Dale (A. S. dal, connected with daelan, to divide; Ger. Thal) is a small valley between hills, separating them, as it were.

Ex.: Turn, gentle hermit of the dale,

And guide my lonely way.

A Dell, another form of dale, is a small and narrow valley between hills.

Ex.: And so 'twill be when I am gone:

That tuneful peal will still ring on,
While other bards shall walk these dells,
And sing your praise, sweet evening bells.

A Ravine (Fr. ravine ravir L. rapio, to tear

away or snatch away) is a long deep hollow, worn away by a torrent; a deep, narrow mountain pass.

Ex.: Passing through the ravine, they came to a hollow, like a small amphitheatre.

Norman, English Synonyms.

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Danger (Fr. danger; Low L. damnarium, from damnum, loss, a fine) is exposure to injury, loss or pain; insecurity; risk. It implies moral or physical risk.

Ex.: The soldier was wounded severely, and was expected to die, but he is now out of danger.

Young people must always avoid the dangers of bad company.

Peril (Fr. peril -L. periculum root of peritus, tried, experior, to try, akin to Gr. peirao, to try, pera o, to pass through) is danger in the sense of physical risk never moral.

Ex.: All I ask is to divide

Every peril he must brave:

Sharing by the hero's side

His fall, his exile and his grave.

The ascent of the mountain was attended with great peril.

Prisoner-Captive.

A Prisoner (Fr. prisonnier pris, taken; L. prehensio, a seizingprehendo-hensum, to take) is a person arrested or confined in prison for a crime, etc., be it for a long time, or for a short time.

Ex.: None but prisoners like me

Know the worth of liberty.

A Captive (Fr. captif; L. captivus capio, to take, captus, taken) is a prisoner taken in war, or one kept in bondage (generally for a long time). Captive is also used in a figurative sense.

Ex.: James the First of Scotland was a captive for many years.

Joy (Fr. joie; Sp. joya; It. gioja; L. gaudium gaudeo, to rejoice) is outward momentary happiness, merriment and gladness.

Ex.: Methought, among scenes which I loved when a boy,

I was walking again with fresh feelings of joy.

Gaiety (Fr. gaîté, gaiety Fr. gai, gay; It. gajo) is the state or quality of being lively, merry, sportive, lighthearted, cheerful etc.

Ex.: The school-children were full of gaiety and glee.

Mirth (A. S. mirth; Gael. mireadh mir, to sport) is noisy gaiety, merriness, pleasure, delight. Ex.: And since I now remember thee,

In darkness and in dread,

As in those hours of revelry
Which mirth and music sped etc.

Empty (A. S. aemtig, empty) is simply the state of being without contents; containing nothing.

Ex.: The bottle is empty.

The remains of Alexander the Great have been scattered to the wind, and his empty sarcophagus is now the mere curiosity of a

museum.

Vacant (Fr. vacant; L. vacans - antis P. pres. of vaco-vacatum, to be empty) is the state of being unoccupied; free for a time.

Ex.: The situation is vacant.

Void (0. F. void; Fr. vide L. viduus, bereft) is empty in the sense of being without, wanting, and is generally used in a figurative sense.

Lifeless (A. S., Ice. and Sw. lif; Dut. liif, body, life; Ger. leben, to live, and A. S. affix less, without) is having lost life.

Ex.: His lifeless body was picked up on the strand.

Inanimate (Fr. in animé; L. in, not, and animo, to animate) is said of objects that never had life or voluntary

action.

Ex.: Stone is an inanimate object.

O Thou, who when silent and senseless it lay,

Didst breathe into life the inanimate clay.

Greek (A. S. and Fr. grec; L. graecus; Gr. graikos)

is what is belonging to Greece.

Ex.: He is a Greek. The Russians belong to the Greek church. Where is my Greek grammar?

Grecian is an imitation of, or resemblance to, what is

älter alt, old) simply denotes having lived or existed more years.

Ex.: He is nine years older than I (that is, he has lived nine years longer than I).

Elder (A. S. ealdor - eald, old; Ger. älter alt, old) is used in speaking of brothers and sisters, etc., or of two persons bearing the same name and equal in renown, and denotes that one was born before the other. It is always used with a substantive.

Ex.: My elder brother is nine years older than I.

The elder Cato.

Eldest, the superlative of elder, is the French ainé. Elder, as a substantive, is a person who is advanced to office, on account of his age, experience etc. For instance: The elders of the tribe, of the church, etc.