The Reference Dictionaries of VerbaAlpina do not give any information on the morpho-lexical type vendúl (m. roa) discussed here. Only in LSI (5, 744), a variant of this type is found under ventǘ, meaning 'avalanche'. The variants of this word type attested in VerbaAlpina also refer primarily to the concept LAWINE (cf. the map vendúl). However, other written sources indicate that this word may have other meanings: Pult and Hubschmid, for example, list various words related to 'hollow' (including vandül in the Verzasca Valley) or 'gutter' (including vandel in Ticino) (cf. Pult 1947, 75ff.; Hubschmid 1950, 42ff.). Furthermore, the word bandl 'tub' (Blad, under bandl) is attested in Ladin (Badia Valley). The use of the same term to designate AVALANCHE on the one hand and HOLLOW on the other can be explained by a metonymic relationship of the type 'vessel – contents'.

This type is also wide-spread in toponymy: The place name vandulo appears in the Canton of Grisons as well as in Italian Switzerland. In the Bergamo area, for example, a "via vandullo" can be found. In the Dizionario Toponomastico Trentino, place names such as bochèt dei vandùi, vandùgola and many more are recorded. Finally, the place name Vandoies (deu. Vintl) in the South Tyrolean Pustertal could also be related to this word type. Place names of the type (la)oi(es) occur in several variants in the Dolomites: Oies in Abtei, Lavoi in Colle Santa Lucia, Laoi in Rocca Pietore and denote 'mud' or 'muddy ground' (cf. Liotto/Anvidalfarei/Irsara 2014, 183; cf. Pallabazzer 1972, 49). The toponym Vandoies, which is composed of van and Oies, could mean 'basin, covered with mud' or 'puddle of water'.
Jokl suggests that the type is etymologically derived from ine. *uendh- 'to turn' (cf. Jokl 1945/1946, 203); Pult 1947 prefers cel. vind- or vindos 'white'. Hubschmid is convinced of the Latin origin and considers Latin vannus 'grain vat' to be the etymon (cf. also Georges under vannus). With regard to this, he notes that it is a metaphorical transfer "from the object to the terrain" (cf. Hubschmid 1950, 74). Hubschmid's suggestion seems to be the most plausible solution not only for phonetic but also for semantic reasons (see also the commentary on the base type vannus).