Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Kaz Kylheku <643-408-1753@kylheku.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Beyond the pale... (Was: do { quit; } else { })
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2025 23:30:39 -0000 (UTC)
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On 2025-04-07, Kenny McCormack <gazelle@shell.xmission.com> wrote:
> But then I wonder if there is any connection between the word "pale"
> meaning "post" and its modern meaning (as in "A Whiter Shade of Pale").

Wictionary asserts an etymology hypothesis for "beyond the pale"
having the pole interpretation:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beyond_the_pale

Etymonoline pegs "pale" (white) as being of Latin oriigin ("pallidus")
and "pale" (stick, pole) of Latin origian also ("palus"):

https://www.etymonline.com/word/pale

From that we have words like "impale" and "pallid".

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