What does avale mean?
Avale is an archaic English verb meaning to descend, lower, or come down from a higher position. It could describe a rider dismounting, a person climbing down, or — most distinctively in the language of falconry — a hawk stooping or swooping upon its prey. The word derives from the Old French avaler, formed from à val, meaning 'downward', which also gave English the noun avalanche, literally a great 'descent' of snow. Although avale has disappeared from everyday speech, surviving only in historical and literary contexts, it offers a compact, elegant alternative to words such as descend, alight, or dismount. Its connotations are neutral and often graceful, suggesting deliberate, controlled movement rather than a fall. Readers encountering it today will find it chiefly in older works on horsemanship, hawking, and chivalric life, where precision about every kind of downward motion mattered.
verbTo descend, lower, or let down; in heraldry, of a hawk, to stoop or swoop down upon prey.
- To descend or come down from a height; to alight or dismount.
- (Heraldry and falconry) Of a hawk: to stoop or swoop down on its quarry.
- To cause something to be lowered or let down.
"The falconer watched his hawk avale upon the lure across the open field."
"The knight avalet from his horse at the castle gate."
"In old treatises on hawking, a goshawk was said to avale when it dropped swiftly toward its prey."
This forgotten little verb lives on only through its cousin 'avalanche' — literally, a 'descent' of snow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of avale
Avale comes from the Old French verb avaler, meaning 'to descend' or 'to let down', built on the phrase à val ('to the valley', hence 'downward'), from val, ultimately from Latin vallis, 'valley'. The same French formation produced the modern noun avalanche, which entered English in the 18th century. Avale itself was adopted into Middle English and remained in use into the early modern period before falling out of common use, surviving longest in the specialized vocabulary of falconry.
How avale is actually used
Archaic and obsolete in modern English; found chiefly in historical, literary, or technical falconry texts. Connotations are neutral, evoking controlled descent rather than falling.
Easily confused with avale
Avail means to be of use or benefit, while the now-archaic avale means to descend or let down.
Abseil is a modern climbing term for descending by rope, whereas avale is an obsolete word for any downward movement.