An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Thal

by Friedrich Kluge

Thal, neuter, ‘valley,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Old High German tal, masculine and neuter; corresponding to Gothic, Old Saxon, and Dutch dal, Anglo-Saxon dœl, English dale (to which English dell is allied), Old Icelandic dalr, ‘valley.’ From the same Aryan root dhō̆, ‘to lie low,’ is derived Anglo-Saxon dęne, dęnu, ‘valley.’ In the non-Teutonic group, Greek θόλος, ‘dome-shaped roof, rotunda’ (literally ‘deepening, excavation’?) is regarded as cognate; Old Slovenian dolŭ, ‘valley,’ is certainly allied. —