vendaval

English

Etymology

From Galician vendaval, Spanish vendaval, or a related term.

Noun

vendaval (plural vendavals)

1. A westerly wind, especially one that blows into the Mediterranean Sea around the area of the Straits of Gibraltar and Morocco, or a similar wind in the Philippines.
   • 1870, R. H. Wyman, Winds, currents, and navigation of the Gulf of Cadiz, the Western Coast of the Spanish Peninsula, and the Strait of Gibraltar, page 4:

     The vendaval gives unequivocal signs of its approach. If the easterly wind be blowing, it will veer to the S.E., the sky will become obscured and the coast concealed, […]

   • 1905, Emma Helen Blair, James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, page 175:

     Setting sail, then, with the vendaval, within a short time they reached the outside of the channel . The ships sailing from Manila do not do this, and are much delayed, because they must run a greater distance within the channel and among ...

   • 1915, Emma Helen Blair, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Relating to China and the Chinese:

     This navigation should not be made at any other season, for from June the vendavals blow, and they are contrary to the voyage. As a rule, these ships sail and are despatched at the end of February, or at the latest by the twentieth of March.

   • 1975, United States. Defense Mapping Agency. Hydrographic Center, Sailing Directions (planning Guide) for the Mediterranean, page 49:

     The vendaval occurs mainly in the cool season, and it is most frequent from October to November and February to March.

Alternative forms

• vendavel

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from French vent d’aval, possibly via Spanish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [bən.dəˈβal]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [vən.dəˈval]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ven.daˈval]

Noun

vendaval m (plural vendavals)

1. windstorm

Further reading

• “vendaval” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Galician

Etymology

Attested since the 14th century. From Old French vent d'aval (“wind from the lowlands”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bendaˈβal/

Noun

vendaval m (plural vendavais)

1. (weather) south or southwestern wind
   • c. 1300, R. Martínez López, editor, General Estoria. Versión gallega del siglo XIV, Oviedo: Archivum, page 62:

     ata medio dia, donde nasçe o vento vendaual

     until midday [=the south], where it is born the south wind

2. place or wall exposed to that wind
3. (weather) windstorm, gale; rainstorm

   Synonym: temporal

References

• “vendaval”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “vendaual”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “vendaual”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “vendaval”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “vendaval”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “vendaval”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from French vent d’aval (“high sea wind, west wind”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /vẽ.daˈvaw/ [vẽ.daˈvaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /vẽ.dɐˈval/ [vẽ.dɐˈvaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /vẽ.dɐˈval/ [vẽ.dɐˈvaɫ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /bẽ.dɐˈbal/ [bẽ.dɐˈβaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /vẽ.dɐˈva.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: ven‧da‧val

Noun

vendaval m (plural vendavais)

1. (archaic) south wind

   Synonyms: sulano, sulvento

2. (meteorology) windstorm, gale
   • 2012, “A volta”, in Capicua, performed by Capicua:

     Foi o tempo foi o vento, veio o vendaval / Veio o medo de ter medo e o medo do mal

     The time went, the wind went, then came the gale / Came the fear of fearing and the fear of evil

   • 2016 November 10, Alexandre Martins, “Vendaval Trump varre a América e deixa mais perguntas do que respostas [“Windstorm” Trump sweeps up America, leaving behind more questions than answers]”, in Público‎^[1]:

     A candidata que para muitos já tinha ganho antes do dia das eleições, com as sondagens a empurrá-la para a frente como um vendaval imparável, pediu desculpa aos seus apoiantes por não ter quebrado o telhado de vidro à segunda tentativa […]

     The candidate, who many thought had already won even before Election Day, given the polls propelling her forwards like an unstoppable windstorm, apologised to her supporters for not having broken the glass ceiling on her second try […]

3. (figuratively) tumult

Further reading

• “vendaval” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from French vent d’aval (“high sea wind, west wind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bendaˈbal/ [bẽn̪.d̪aˈβ̞al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ven‧da‧val

Noun

vendaval m (plural vendavales)

1. windstorm

Related terms

• viento

 

Further reading

• “vendaval”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10