valido

Forms

validō (present infinitive validāre, perfect active validāvī, supine validātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin validus (“strong”).^[2][3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Georges and Conte cite it from a speech of Cassiodorus, meaning to strengthen or restore: res publicas … quassatas validare, to restore shattered states;^[2][4][5] Gaffiot and VoLat attribute the passage to Symmachus.^[3][6]

Semantic evolution

Medieval Latin kept the sense to reinforce or restore,^[7][8] and added that of confirming something legally: in 1318 agreements are said to be validated by oath,^[8] and a decree of the Parlement of 1394 uses it in the sense to make valid.^[9] The DMLBS also records it in the sense to have the strength to do something.^[8]

English validate (1640s) comes from the medieval Latin past participle.^[10]

Timeline

• c. 485–c. 580 – Cassiodorus uses it of restoring shattered states.^[2][4][5]
• 1318 – A document speaks of agreements validated by oath.^[8]
• 1394 – A decree of the Parlement uses it in the sense to make valid.^[9]
• 1640s – English validate is formed from its past participle.^[10]

Meanings

Verb

1. To strengthen, reinforce; to restore.^[2][3][4][7]
2. (Medieval Latin) To make valid, confirm, ratify.^[8][9]
3. (Medieval Latin) To have the strength (to do something).^[8][1]

Related words

• English validate

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
3. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ VoLat: Vocabolario della Lingua Latina (2018), Milan: Hoepli
7. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
8. ^ a b c d e f Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
10. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com