Dell (landform)

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.

Not to be confused with Dale (landform).
Dell in the Little Carpathians with a dry stream channel

The word "dell" comes from the Old English word dell, which is related to the Old English word dæl, modern 'dale'.[2][3] Dells in literature. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with dingle, although this 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]

  • 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.
  • Dewey Dell – a fictional character in William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying who travels to a nearby town in hopes of obtaining an abortion.

See also
  • 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
  1. www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/dell
  2. "Dell Definition & Meaning". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  3. John Richard Clark Hall, A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
  4. "dingle". Merriam Webster. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  5. "Dingle Dell, Sevenoaks". The Ordnance Survey. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  6. 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.
  • Media related to Dells at Wikimedia Commons
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