wal

See also: Wal, WAL, wäl, wał, wal•, and wal-

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑl

• audio:

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Etymology 1

From Latin vallum (“wall”), from vallus (“stake, palisade, point”). Cognate with English wall.

Noun

wal m (plural wallen, diminutive walletje n)

1. coast, shore (side of land near to the water)
2. earthen levee as protection against flooding
3. wall around city as military defense
4. periorbital dark circle
5. eye circle; bags

Synonyms

• (levee): dijk
• (defensive wall): omwalling, stadsmuur
• (eye bags): oogwal

Derived terms

• bewallen, walling, stadswal

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch wal (“whale”), from Old Dutch *wal, from Proto-Germanic *hwalaz (“whale”). Cognate with English whale. Possibly to avoid confusion with wal (“wall; shore”), the derived compound word walvis (“whale; lit. whale-fish”) gained currency over wal (“whale”). Similar clarifying compounds can be found elsewhere in Dutch: kraanvogel (“crane; lit. crane-bird”), muildier (“mule; lit. mule-animal”), oeros (“auroch; auroch-ox”), rendier (“rein; lit. rein-animal”), tortelduif (“turtle (bird); lit. turtle dove”) and windhond (“greyhound; lit. wind-dog”).

Noun

wal m (plural wallen, diminutive walletje n)

1. (archaic) whale

Synonyms

• (whale): walvis, waldier

Derived terms

• grindewal
• waldier
• walrus
• walschot
• walvis

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Gamilaraay

wal

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /val/

Noun

wal

1. container
2. rubbish bin

References

• (2017) Giacon J Gamilaraay-Yuwaalaraay Dictionary Supplement

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English wæl.

Alternative forms

• wæl, wæle, wale, wel

Noun

wal (plural wals)

1. death, slaughter.

Etymology 2

From Old Norse val.

Noun

wal

1. Alternative form of wale (“selection, preference”)

Adjective

wal

1. Alternative form of wale (“great”)

Etymology 3

From Old English wel.

Adverb

wal

1. (rare) Alternative form of wel

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /val/

Etymology 1

Noun

1. whale (certain species)

Declension

Declension of wal

	singular	plural
nominative	wal	wale
genitive	wala	walów/wali
dative	walowi	walom
accusative	wala	wale
instrumental	walem	walami
locative	walu	walach
vocative	walu	wale

Hypernyms

• wieloryb, waleń

Etymology 2

Verb

wal

1. second-person singular imperative of walić

Further reading

• Template:R:PWN

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Welsh

wal

Alternative forms

• (literary) gwal

Etymology

Borrowed from Old English weall.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wal/

Noun

wal m (plural waliau or welydd)

1. wall
2. (literary) Soft mutation of gwal.

Usage notes

wal is the most commonly used word for "wall" in Welsh. The word mur is used most often when referring to large walls such as the defensive walls of a city or Mur Mawr Tsieina "The Great Wall of China". It is also used in compound words, for example murlun, rhagfur, cellfur, briwydd y mur. pared in an internal partition wall whereas magwyr is a literary word for an external wall, little used now but preserved in such things as place and plant names.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “wal”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies