Etymologically
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valoir

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /va.lwaʁ/[1]

Forms

valoir[1] Old French valeir (about 1050), valoir from 1080.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French valeir, inherited from Latin valeō (“to be strong, be well; to be worth”).[4][2][5][6][1] The Latin verb meant “to be strong, healthy, powerful, valid” and, of coins, “to be worth”, Rey compares Old Church Slavonic владѫ (vladǫ, “to rule”) and Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽 (waldan, “to rule”).[2]

Cognate with Italian valere, Occitan valer, Spanish valer and Portuguese valer.[7][8]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first found about 1050 in the Vie de saint Alexis, meaning “to be worth a certain price”, of a thing, and “to help”.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

In the Chanson de Roland it is said of a person's merit, “to be the equal of”.[4][2] Valoir quelque chose à quelqu'un “to earn someone something” dates from about 1155; in 1160–1174 Wace uses it for “to bring in, yield”, whence faire valoir (1538).[2][4] Ne faire rien qui vaille is from the 14th–16th centuries, and valoir la peine from about 1625 (d'Aubigné).[4] Vaille que vaille “for better or worse” goes back to the 13th century.[9]

Derivatives include vaillant (11th century), the old present participle, still in n'avoir pas un sou vaillant, valable (13th century), revaloir (about 1180) and vaurien (about 1565); value, now obsolete, gave évaluer and plus-value.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1050 – Valeir “to be worth”, in the Vie de saint Alexis.[4]
  • c. 1100 – Of a person's worth, in the Chanson de Roland.[4]
  • 1160–1174 – “To yield”, in Wace.[4]
  • c. 1180 – Revaloir.[5]
  • 1538 – Faire valoir.[4]
  • c. 1565 – Vaurien.[5]
  • c. 1625 – Valoir la peine, in d'Aubigné.[4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To be worth, cost: ce tableau vaut cher.[1][10]
  2. To be as good as, equal: l'un vaut l'autre, (mathematics) to equal.[1][9]
  3. To deserve, be worth: cela vaut la peine, valoir le détour.[1]
  4. To earn, win: cela lui a valu une amende.[1][2]
  5. To apply, hold good: cela vaut pour tous.[9]
  6. Il vaut mieux: it is better, faire valoir: to stress, assert; to exploit.[1][4]
  7. Se valoir: to be equivalent.[1]

Word family

  • vaillant
  • valable
  • revaloir
  • vaurien
  • faire-valoir
  • plus-value

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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 d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 14, 130a
  7. ^ Meyer-Lübke, Wilhelm (1935), Romanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., Heidelberg: Winter
  8. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  9. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  10. ^ Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert