In physical geography, a dell is a grassy hollow—or dried stream bed—often partially covered in trees.[1][2] In literature, dells have pastoral connotations, frequently imagined as secluded and pleasant safe havens.
The word "dell" comes from the Old English word dell, which is related to the Old English word dæl, modern 'dale'.[2][3] The term is sometimes used interchangeably with the word "dingle", although "dingle" specifically refers to deep ravines or hollows that are embowered with trees.[4] The terms have also been combined to form examples of tautological placenames in Dingle Dell, Kent, and Dingle Dell Reserve, Auckland.[5][6]
In popular culture
edit- Rivendell – Fictional valley of Elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth — Tolkien's fictional Elvish locale.
- "The Farmer in the Dell" – an American folk song brought to United States by German immigrants.
- "This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison" - A poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, makes reference to a dell in lines 5-10.
Related places in the United States
edit- Hollywood Dell, Los Angeles – human settlement in Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Hollywood Bowl – Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California
- Matthiessen State Park – State park in Illinois, US
- Wisconsin Dells – Gorge on the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin, United States
See also
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Look up dell in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- Cirque – An amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion
- Coulee – Type of valley or drainage zone
- Glen – Name for valley commonly used in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man
- U-shaped valley, also known as glaciated valley – Valleys formed by glacial scouring
- Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
- Canyon, also known as Gorge – Deep chasm between cliffs
- Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
References
edit- ^ www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/dell
- ^ a b "Dell Definition & Meaning". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
- ^ John Richard Clark Hall, A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
- ^ "dingle". Merriam Webster. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ "Dingle Dell, Sevenoaks". The Ordnance Survey. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ Wilcox, M (2013). "Flora of dingle dell reserve, St Heliers". Auckland Botanical Society Journal. 68 (2): 118–132. Archived from the original on 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
External links
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Media related to Dells at Wikimedia Commons
