Val

/væl/ noun

Definition

Short for valley; also an informal abbreviation for a person's name, like Valentine or Valerie.

Etymology

Direct abbreviation of 'valley,' which comes from Old French 'valee,' derived from 'val' meaning 'valley' in Latin. As a nickname, it's simply a shortened version of longer names beginning with 'Val-'.

Kelly Says

Val is a neat example of how English speakers love shorthand—we've turned lengthy place descriptions and names into one punchy syllable!

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