valent

Forms

valent (feminine valenta, masculine plural valents, feminine plural valentes)^[1] In the Middle Ages it was an adjective of one ending for both genders (la gent valent); Coromines knows no feminine valenta before the Renaixença.^[2] The DCVB records pronunciations from [bəɫén] in the east to [vaɫént] and [vaɾént].^[3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old Catalan valent, which is inherited from Latin valēns (“strong, powerful”), the present participle of valeō (“to be strong, be worth”).^[2][3][4][1]

The same Latin word is Occitan valent, Italian valente, Portuguese valente and Spanish valiente.^[5][6] The participle of valoir gave French vaillant.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Llull's Llibre de contemplació God is called valent Senyor “mighty Lord”, the sense “powerful, able to give help”.^[8] Jaume I's chronicle, dated 1244 by Faraudo, has the noun valent “value”, in valent de .M. sous “the worth of a thousand sous”.^[9]

Semantic evolution

The sense “brave and strong” is already in Llull and often in Muntaner, who speaks of un valent hom who rose by his valour.^[2] Desclot, in 1283, has la valent gent working day and night to take a city.^[9] The old sense “worth, valued at” survives in medieval prices (cinc sous valents in Desclot), and the noun valent “value” is used by Canals and Eiximenis.^[2][9]

Labèrnia's dictionary of 1839 gives the senses “strong”, “brave”, “excellent” and “great, excessive” (valent fret), with the adverbial phrase de valent “hard, vigorously”.^[10] Coromines notes that speakers who call someone balén may mean simply “robust”, not brave.^[2] Valentia is already in Muntaner, and envalentir is recorded in 1647.^[2]

Timeline

• 1244 – the noun valent “value” in Jaume I's chronicle.^[9]
• Late 13th century – valent Senyor in Llull's Llibre de contemplació.^[8]
• 1283 – la valent gent in Desclot's chronicle.^[9]
• 1325 – Muntaner's chronicle uses valent and valentia.^[9][2]
• 1460 – Jaume Roig's Spill has la gent valent.^[9]
• 1839 – Labèrnia's dictionary, with de valent.^[10]

Meanings

Adjective

1. brave, courageous: not afraid to face danger or to undertake great things: Cal ser valent per dir-li la veritat.^[4][3][1]
2. (before the noun) Great, considerable: Vam passar un valent ensurt.^[4][3]
3. Still strong and able to look after oneself.^[4]
4. (archaic) Worth so much, having a value of.^[3][9]

Noun

1. A brave person.^[4]
2. (archaic) The value or price of a thing.^[3][9]
3. (dialectal) A grape variety with large berries, white or black.^[3]

Word family

• valentament
• valentia
• envalentir
• envalentonar
• valentàs

Related words

• valer
• valdre
• valor
• Latin valēns
• Spanish valiente

Usage notes

The adverbial phrase de valent “hard, in earnest” is recorded by Labèrnia and Pal·las.^[10][11]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Coromines, Joan (1980–2001), Diccionari etimològic i complementari de la llengua catalana, 10 vols., Barcelona: Curial / La Caixa (online ed., Institut d'Estudis Catalans 2024), p. 9, 21
3. ^ a b c d e f g Alcover, Antoni M.; Moll, Francesc de B. (1930–1962), Diccionari català-valencià-balear, 10 vols., Palma de Mallorca: Moll, p. s.v. valent
4. ^ a b c d e Enciclopèdia Catalana, Gran diccionari de la llengua catalana (GDLC), Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana; online edition, https://www.diccionari.cat, p. s.v. valent
5. ^ Mistral, Frédéric (1878–1886), Lou Tresor dóu Felibrige, ou dictionnaire provençal-français, 2 vols., Aix-en-Provence, p. 2, 1081
6. ^ Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. valiente
7. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert, p. s.v. vaillant
8. ^ a b Nou glossari general lul·lià (NGGL), Centre de Documentació Ramon Llull, Universitat de Barcelona, https://nggl.ub.edu, p. s.v. valent
9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Faraudo de Saint-Germain, Lluís, Vocabulari de la llengua catalana medieval, online edition, Barcelona: Institut d'Estudis Catalans, p. s.v. valent
10. ^ a b c Labèrnia, Pere (1839–1840), Diccionari de la llengua catalana ab la correspondencia castellana y llatina, 2 vols., Barcelona, p. s.v. valent
11. ^ Vallès, Emili (1927), Pal·las: diccionari català il·lustrat, Barcelona: Salvat, p. s.v. valent