valle
Lemma Details
Translation: valley; vale; dale
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: From Latin 'vallis' meaning 'valley'. The English word 'valley' shares the same Latin root, making it a direct cognate. The word evolved from the Latin through Vulgar Latin and into Spanish, maintaining its meaning of a low area between hills or mountains. The English word 'vale' is also a direct cognate, though less commonly used than 'valley'.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'valley' in English - they sound very similar and mean the same thing.
- Picture a 'V' shape - the letter resembles the shape of a valley between two mountains.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, many place names include 'valle' due to the geographical features of regions like the Andes in South America or the Pyrenees in Spain. 'Valle' is also commonly used in poetry and literature to evoke pastoral or bucolic imagery.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Valle' means 'valley' while 'valla' means 'fence' or 'barrier'. They differ by just one letter but have completely different meanings.
Notes: The pronunciation is slightly different: 'valle' is pronounced with a 'ye' sound at the end in most Spanish dialects, while 'valla' ends with a clear 'ya' sound.
Mnemonic: 'Valle' with 'e' is like the 'e' in 'depression' (valleys are depressions in the land), while 'valla' with 'a' is like the 'a' in 'barrier'.
Explanation: 'Valle' means 'valley' while 'baile' means 'dance'. They sound somewhat similar but have unrelated meanings.
Confused word:
El baile comienza a las nueve.
The dance begins at nine.
Notes: The stress in 'valle' is on the first syllable, while in 'baile' it's also on the first syllable but the word has a different rhythm.
Mnemonic: 'Baile' starts with 'b' like 'ballet', a type of dance.