Pale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Pale (disambiguation).

A pale is a territory or jurisdiction (possibly non-territorial) under a given authority, or the limits of such a jurisdiction. The term was often used in cases where the territory or jurisdiction outside the pale was considered hostile.

The most famous pale was in Ireland in the 14th and 15th centuries, and was known simply as the Pale, or as the English Pale. This was a region in a radius of twenty miles (32 km) around Dublin which the English gradually fortified against incursion from Gaelic Ireland.

Other pales include:

The word can also be used to describe the (limits of) jurisdiction of non-territorial authorities, for example, "the Church claims no authority over unbaptized persons, as they are entirely without her pale".[1]

[edit] Etymology

The word pale derives ultimately from the Latin word palus, meaning stake. (Palisade and impale are derived from the same root.) In this case it literally refers to a stake (or pole) that forms part of a protective fence around a settlement. From this came the figurative meaning of 'boundary', and the concept of a pale as an area within which local laws were valid.[2]

The phrase "beyond the pale", meaning to go beyond the limits of law or decency, was in use by the mid-17th century. The phrase is possibly a reference to the general sense of boundary, not to any of the particular pales that bore that name,[3] although in the Atlantic Isles it is popularly understood to be a reference to the Pale in Ireland. To 'Go Beyond the Pale' in that context is to leave the civilized (English) world behind and enter the uncivilized (Irish) world. It therefore has strong racist anti-Irish overtones.

Several Irish-American musicians have attempted to reclaim the term and use it to refer to a sense of Irishness or Celtic identity that is unstained by British Imperialism. The term is referenced in this context in the lyrics to I Am[1], by Beltaine's Fire on their debut release 'The Weapon of the Future'. Irish-American Hard-Rock singer 'Fiona' used the phrase 'Beyond the Pale' as the title for her debut release on Atlantic Records in 1986, simultaneously asserting her Irishness and her disregard for 'decency'. A third group, Irish folk band 'Beyond the Pale [2] uses it to imply that they themselves are 'beyond the pale' and therefore authentically Irish.

The term "Pale" has come in to common usage in the north of England, particularly in the West Yorkshire area to denote a situation or person that is deemed to be unfavourable i.e "Pale" "This is pale" and "You pale bastard"

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fanning, William H.W. (1907). Baptism. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
  2. ^ Wilton, David. Etymologies & Word Origins. Wordorigins.org. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
  3. ^ Freeman, John (1963). Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. New York: Harper & Row.