Aile

/eɪl/ noun

Definition

An archaic or heraldic term for a wing, particularly used in descriptions of medieval armor or coat-of-arms designs.

Etymology

From Old French 'aile' meaning wing, derived from Latin 'ala.' This term survives primarily in heraldry and historical costume descriptions.

Kelly Says

In heraldry, when you see winged creatures on shields and coats of arms, the technical term for those wings is 'ailes'—it's a beautiful linguistic fossil from medieval French!

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