Talk:Dale (landform)

Also dael in old Dutch, though that spelling is only found in old placenames

Geographical spread

Is the term 'dale' used, in either a specific or generic fashion, beyond the north of England and southern Scotland? The toponymist Margaret Gelling lists multiple examples in the northern English counties of Cumbria, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire noting that there are fewer in Northumberland and County Durham though that perhaps at least in part reflects differences in the geography. There are 6 or 7 in southern Scotland. In other regions of the UK and indeed elsewhere in the world, such valley landforms would be differently labelled so 'dale' is not a widely applicable name for a landform; that might be more usefully mentioned in the article (suitably referenced of course). Geopersona (talk) 08:25, 18 December 2020 (UTC)

Ah - have since come across Dale_(place_name_element) which list numerous examples from elsewhere in the UK and indeed in other parts of the world, largely former British colonies where the names or style of naming may have been transferred, without necessarily applying to a similar landform. Others in Scotland relate to the extent of the former Norse influence regarding placenames. Geopersona (talk) 08:38, 18 December 2020 (UTC)