Avale

/əˈveɪl/ verb

Definition

An archaic or obsolete form meaning to lower, descend, or make less; to humiliate or bring down.

Etymology

From Old French 'avaler,' combining 'a-' (to) and 'val' (valley/down), from Latin 'vallis.' This verb is now obsolete, replaced by 'lower,' 'descend,' or 'humble' in modern English.

Kelly Says

Avale appears in Middle English texts like Chaucer, where it means to bow or lower oneself—it's a word so old it had already become archaic by Shakespeare's time, showing how rapidly English vocabulary turns over.

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