Etymologically
Log in

valgus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 24 October 2026 at 18:47. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈwaɫ.ɡʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈval.ɡus][1]

Forms

valgus (feminine valga, neuter valgum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3] It has been connected with Sanskrit वल्गति (válgati, “to move up and down”), Khotanese valj- (“to go astray, be deceived”) and Old English wealcan (“to roll, move to and fro”), from a root Proto-Indo-European *u̯ol(H)g-;[2] de Vaan objects that the defining trait of bow legs is their crookedness, not a movement up and down or to and fro, and that ⟨valgus⟩ cannot continue ⟨*wolg-⟩ phonetically.[2] The OLD calls it doubtful and compares vārus1 (“bow-legged”) and vatius (“knock-kneed”).[3] Wiktionary connects it with Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, roll”) and volvō (“to roll”),[1] and Köbler with Pokorny's root Proto-Indo-European *u̯olg- (“to turn”).[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus on.[2] A fragment of Plautus, quoted by Festus, wishes on someone a child with crooked legs (varum aut valgum), and Festus reports that Opilius Aurelius and others called valgi those whose calves turned apart.[6][7]

Semantic evolution

The dictionaries disagree on the deformity: the OLD defines it as knock-kneed, with the legs converging at the knee and splaying below,[3] while Lewis and Short, Georges and Gaffiot take it as bow-legged, with the calves turned outwards.[6][8][9] Celsus uses crus valgius of a leg turned outward.[8][9]

Plautus transferred it to the lips: valga savia are kisses given with the lips pushed out, wry kisses.[6][7] Petronius has the adverb valgiter “wryly”, of lips twisted awry.[6] It was also a Roman cognomen, Valgus.[1][9]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of crooked legs and of wry kisses.[6][7][4]
  • 1st century BC – The comic poet Novius uses it.[8][4]
  • 14–37 AD – Celsus writes crus valgius of a leg turned outward.[8][4]
  • before 66 AD – Petronius has the adverb valgiter.[6][4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Having crooked legs: bow-legged (Lewis and Short, Georges) or knock-kneed (OLD).[3][6][8]
  2. (of the mouth) Pushed out, wry;[6][7] valga savia, wry kisses.[6][7]

Word family

  • valgiter

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b c d e Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  8. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  9. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.