a valley, sometimes a field, English dale or dell, and often joined to the name of the river which flows through the district; e.g. Clydesdale, Teviotdale, Nithsdale, Liddesdale, Dovedale, Arundel, Dryfesdale, corrupt. to Drysdale (the valley of the Clyde, Teviot, Nith, Liddel, Dove, Arun, Dryfe); Rochdale, on the Roch, an affluent of the Trivell; Dalmellington (the town in the valley of the mill). It is to be noted that in places named by the Teut. and Scand. races, this root-word, as well as others, is placed after the adjective or defining word; while by the Celtic races it is placed first. Thus, in Scandinavia, and in localities of Great Britain where the Danes and Norsemen had settlements, we have—Romsdalen and Vaerdal, the valleys of the Raumer and Vaer, in Norway; Langenthal, on the R. Langent, in Switzerland; Rydal (rye valley), Westmoreland; Laugdalr (the valley of warm springs), Iceland. In districts again peopled by the Saxons, Avondale, Annandale (the valleys of the Avon and Annan). This is the general rule, although there are exceptions—Rosenthal (the valley of roses); Inn-thal (of the R. Inn); Freudenthal (of joy); Fromenthal (wheat valley); Grunthal (green valley). In Gaelic, Irish, and Welsh names, on the contrary, dal precedes the defining word; e.g. Dalry and Dalrigh (king’s level field); Dalbeth and Dalbeathie (the field of birches); Dalginross (the field at the head of the promontory or wood); Dalness and Dallas (the field of the cascade, cas); Dalserf (of St. Serf); Dailly, in Ayrshire, anc. Dalmaolkeran (the field of the servant, maol, of St. Kiaran); Dalrymple (the valley of the rumbling pool, ruaemleagh); Dalgarnock (of the rough hillock); Dalhousie (the field at the corner of the water, i.e. of the Esk); Dalwhinnie (the field of the meeting, coinneach); Dalziel (beautiful field, geal); Dalguise (of the fir-trees, giuthas); Dalnaspittal (the field of the spideal, i.e. the house of entertainment); Dalnacheaich (of the stone); Dalnacraoibhe (of the tree); Dalbowie (yellow field). Dollar, in Clackmannan, may be from this root, although there is a tradition that it took its name from a castle in the parish called Castle-Gloom, Gael. doillair (dark); Deal or Dole (the valley in Kent); Dol and Dole, in Brittany, with the same meaning; Doldrewin (the valley of the Druidical circles in Wales); Dolquan (the owl’s meadow); Dolau-Cothi (the meadows of the River Cothi); Dolgelly (the grove of hazels); Dalkeith (the narrow valley, caeth); Codale (cow field); Grisdale (swine field); Gasdale (goosefield); Balderdale, Silverdale, Uldale, Ennerdale, Ransdale (from the personal names, Balder, Sölvar, Ulf, Einer, Hrani); Brachendale (the valley of ferns); Berrydale, in Caithness, corrupt. from Old Norse, Berudalr (the valley of the productive wood); Dalecarlia, called by the Swedes Dahlena (the valleys); Dieppedal (deep valley); Stendal (stony valley); Oundle, in Northampton, corrupt. from Avondle; Kendal or Kirkby-Kendal (the church town in the valley of the R. Ken); Dolgelly (the valley of the grove), in Wales; Dolsk or Dolzig (the town in the valley), in Posen; Dolzen, in Bohemia; Bartondale (the dale of the enclosure for the gathered crops), in Yorkshire; Dalarossie, in Inverness, corrupt. from Dalfergussie, Fergus’dale; Dalriada, in Ulster, named from a king of the Milesian race, named Cairbe-Raida, who settled there. His descendants gradually emigrated to Albin, which from them was afterwards called Scotland; and that part of Argyleshire where they landed they also named Dalriada. The three brothers, Fergus, Sorn, and Anghus, came to Argyleshire in 503 A.D. Toul and Toulouse, situated in valleys, probably were named from the same root-word; Toulouse was anciently called Civitas-Tolosatium (the city of the valley dwellers, dol-saetas).
DAL, or GEDEL (A.S.),
DEEL (Dutch),
THEIL (Ger.),
DAL (Irish),
a part, a district; e.g. Kalthusertheil (the district of the cold houses); Kerckdorfertheil (the district of the village church); Baradeel (the barren district), in Germany and Holland. This word, rather than dail, may be the root of Dalriada; see above.
DALEJ (Sclav.),
far; e.g. Daliz, Dalchow, Dalichow (the distant place).
DAMM (Teut.),
an embankment, a dyke; e.g. Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Saardam, properly Zaandam (the embankment on the Rivers Rotte, Amstel, and Zaan); Schiedam, on the R. Schie; Leerdam (the embankment on the field, lar); Veendam (on the marsh, veen); Damm (the embankment), a town in Prussia; Neudamm (the new dyke); Dammducht (the embankment of the trench).
DAN,
in topography, signifies belonging to the Danes; e.g. Danelagh (that portion of England which the Danes held after their treaty with Alfred); Danby, Danesbury (the Danes’ dwellings); Danesbanks, Danesgraves, Danesford, in Salop, where the Danes are believed to have wintered in 896; Danshalt, in Fife, where they are said to have halted after their defeat at Falkland; Danthorpe, Denton (Danes’ town); Denshanger (Danes’ hill or declivity); Dantzic (the Danish fort, built by a Danish colony in the reign of Waldemar II.); Tennstedt, in Saxony, corrupt. from Dannenstedi (the Danes’ station); Cruden, in Aberdeenshire, anc. Cruor-Danorum (the slaughter of the Danes on the site of the last battle between the Celts and the Danes, which took place in the parish 1012). The Danish king fell in this battle, and was buried in the churchyard of Cruden. For centuries the Erroll family received an annual pension from the Danish Government for taking care of the grave at Cruden, but after the grave had been desecrated this pension was discontinued.
DAR, DERA, DEIR (Ar.),
DEH (Pers.),