When used in a phrase like "I'm from the Valley", the Valley usually refers to the beautiful San Fernando Valley, a gi-normous suburb to the north of Los Angeles. It's main claim to fame is flatness, straight streets, shopping malls, and Valley Girls.

All the street names mentioned in Tom Petty's song "Free Fallin'" are from the Valley.

KANJI: KOKU (valley, gorge, dale, rivine)

ASCII Art Representation:

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Character Etymology:

An opening—ロ—and spliiting— 八—here doubled for emphasis. Therefore a deep, wide, split opening such as a valley or a gorge.

A Listing of All On-Yomi and Kun-Yomi Readings:

on-yomi: KOKU
kun-yomi: tani ya

Nanori Readings:

Nanori: gai gae gaya se tari tan ya

English Definitions:

1. KOKU, tani: valley, dale, ravine; trough (of a wave); trough (in atmospheric pressure).
2. ya: valley.

Character Index Numbers:

New Nelson: 5730
Henshall: 122

Unicode Encoded Version:

谷

Unicode Encoded Compound Examples:

幽谷 (yuukoku): deep ravine.
谷口 (taniguchi): mouth of a valley.
谷川 (tanigawa): mouth of a stream or river.

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Val"ley (?), n.; pl. Valleys (#). [OE. vale, valeie, OF. val'ee, valede, F. vall'ee, LL. vallata, L. vallis, valles. See Vale.]

1.

The space inclosed between ranges of hills or mountains; the strip of land at the bottom of the depressions intersecting a country, including usually the bed of a stream, with frequently broad alluvial plains on one or both sides of the stream. Also used figuratively.

The valley of the shadow of death. Ps. xxiii. 4.

Sweet interchange Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains. Milton.

⇒ Deep and narrow valleys with abrupt sides are usually the results of erosion by water, and are called gorges, ravines, canons, gulches, etc.

2. Arch. (a)

The place of meeting of two slopes of a roof, which have their plates running in different directions, and form on the plan a reentrant angle.

The depression formed by the meeting of two slopes on a flat roof.

Valley board Arch., a board for the reception of the lead gutter in the valley of a roof. The valley board and lead gutter are not usual in the United States. -- Valley rafter, ∨ Valley piece Arch., the rafter which supports the valley. -- Valley roof Arch., a roof having one or more valleys. See Valley, 2, above.

© Webster 1913.