pale
pronunciation
How to pronounce pale in British English:
UK [peɪl]
How to pronounce pale in American English:
US [peɪl]
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- Noun:
- a wooden strip forming part of a fence
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- Verb:
- turn pale, as if in fear
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- Adjective:
- very light colored; highly diluted with white
- (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble
- lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness
- abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress
- not full or rich
Word Origin
- pale
- pale: English has two words pale. The adjective [13] comes via Old French from Latin pallidus (source also of English appal – originally ‘turn pale’ – pall ‘become wearisome’ [14] – originally a shortening of appal – and pallid [17]). This was a derivative of the verb pallēre ‘be pale’, which was descended from *pol-, *pel-, the same Indo-European base as produced English fallow.The noun pale [14] comes via Old French pal from Latin pālus ‘stake’. This was a descendant of the base *pāg- ‘fix’, which also produced English pagan, page, and pole ‘stick’. English palisade [17] comes ultimately from *pālicea, a Vulgar Latin derivative of pālus, and the closely related Latin pāla ‘spade’ produced English palette [17] and pallet [16].=> appal, fallow, pall, pallid; pagan, page, palette, palisade, pallet, pole, travel
- pale (adj.)
- early 14c., from Old French paile "pale, light-colored" (12c., Modern French pâle), from Latin pallidus "pale, pallid, wan, colorless," from pallere "be pale, grow pale," from PIE *pel- (2) "pale" (see pallor). Pale-face, supposed North American Indian word for "European," is attested from 1822.
- pale (n.)
- early 13c. (c. 1200 in Anglo-Latin), "stake, pole, stake for vines," from Old French pal and directly from Latin palus "stake, prop, wooden post," related to pangere "to fix or fasten" (see pact). From late 14c. as "fence of pointed stakes;" figurative sense of "limit, boundary, restriction" is from c. 1400. Barely surviving in beyond the pale and similar phrases. Meaning "the part of Ireland under English rule" is from 1540s, via sense of "territory held by power of a nation or people" (mid-15c.).
- pale (v.)
- late 14c., "become pale; appear pale" (also, in Middle English, "to make pale"), from Old French paleir (12c.) or from pale (adj.). Related: Paled; paling.
Example
- 1. Hundreds of buildings are covered in pale white soot .
- 2. Leaves opening slowly under the pale blue sky .
- 3. But these pale in comparison with private internet companies .
- 4. My friend 's dark complexion turned pale .
- 5. Its walls are lined in pale beech wood , and behind her long desk stretches an array of framed family photographs .