valeur

Pronunciation

• IPA: /va.lœʁ/^[1]

Forms

valeur f (plural valeurs)^[1] Old French valor, valur;^[2][3][1] valeur from the 13th century.^[2][3][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French valor, inherited from Latin valor (“worth, value”), through its accusative valōrem, from valeō (“to be strong; to be worth”) (see valoir).^{[4][2][5][3][1]}

Cognate with Italian valore, Spanish valor and Old Occitan valor.^[2][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Chanson de Roland (about 1100) already has both senses: a person's worth, sa grant valor, ki purreit acunter? “his great worth, who could tell it?”, and the usefulness of a thing, in aveir valur “to be fit for some use”.^[4][2][6]

Semantic evolution

From a person's worth came “importance” (about 1155, Wace) and “bravery, valour” (about 1175, Benoît de Sainte-Maure), literary since the 17th century;^[4][2] une valeur was a person of merit in d'Aubigné (about 1578).^[4][2] About 1260 it took the sense of what a thing is worth in money, and de valeur “very precious” is in Furetière (1690).^[4][2] Regnard (1705) uses valeurs for stocks and shares.^[4]

Specialized senses followed: the value of a word in usage (about 1690), and since Saussure in its system; the length of a note in music (1740); the degree of lightness of a colour in painting (1792); a numerical value in mathematics (1845).^[4][2][7] Mettre en valeur meant “to raise to a high position” in 1485 and “to bring (land) into cultivation” in 1690.^[4][2] In Quebec c'est de valeur means “it's a pity”.^[2]

Timeline

• c. 1100 – Valor “worth”, in the Chanson de Roland.^[4]
• c. 1175 – “Bravery”, in Benoît de Sainte-Maure.^[4]
• c. 1260 – Monetary value.^[4][2]
• c. 1400 – The adjective valeureux.^[5]
• 1690 – Mettre en valeur (land), in Furetière.^[4]
• 1705 – Valeurs “securities”, in Regnard.^[4]
• 1740 – The value of a note, in the Académie dictionary.^[4][7]
• 1792 – Tonal value in painting.^[4]
• 1845 – A numerical value.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. Worth, merit, what makes a person estimable: un homme de valeur.^[8][1]
2. (literary) Valour, bravery.^[1][2]
3. The value of a thing, especially in money: valeur d'un bijou, objets de valeur.^[8][1]
4. (finance) A security: valeurs mobilières, valeur sûre, a safe investment.^[4][1]
5. Importance, interest, validity: jugement de valeur, mettre en valeur, to highlight, to develop.^[2][1]
6. A moral or social ideal: les valeurs.^[8]
7. (music) The length of a note, (painting) the tonal value of a colour, (mathematics) a numerical value: valeur absolue.^[4][1]
8. (Quebec) C'est de valeur: it's a pity.^[2]

Word family

• valeureux
• valoriser

Related words

• valoir
• vaillant
• Latin valor

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
5. ^ a b c Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
6. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
7. ^ a b Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert