validus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwa.lɪ.dʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvaː.li.dus]^[1]

Forms

validus (feminine valida, neuter validum, comparative validior, superlative validissimus); first/second-declension adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from valeō “to be strong, healthy” with the suffix -idus.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citations are from Plautus, as his vigorous men.^[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant physically powerful, robust, strong, as Plautus' hominēs validī, of blows vigorous, of plants strong, and of a town thriving, as in Cato.^[2][4] It meant healthy, fit, of materials strong, tough, as Lucretius' towers, of food substantial, and of soil rich.^[2][4] Of natural forces and emotions it meant powerful, intense, of drugs potent, of plans bold, and in law valid.^[2] Of armies it meant strong in numbers, as in Livy, and of persons influential, as in Sallust, of character resolute, and of style forcible.^[2] Lewis and Short call it mostly poetic and post-Augustan, rare in Cicero and absent from Caesar.^[6] Döderlein says validus is strong in an active sense, able to do something.^[7]

In Medieval Latin it meant rightful, legal, valid, and physically powerful.^[8][9] It survives in French valide and Italian valido.^[1] English valid came in the 1570s, first meaning “legally binding”.^[3]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of strong men.^[2][5]
• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of a thriving town.^[2][5]
• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of strong forces.^[2][5]
• 1570s – English valid is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Strong, robust, vigorous.^[2]
2. Healthy, fit.^[2]
3. (of materials) Strong, tough.^[2]
4. Powerful, intense; potent.^[2]
5. Legally effective, valid.^[2][8]
6. (of forces) Strong; influential.^[2]

Word family

• valdē
• validē
• validitās
• validō

Related words

• valeō
• English valid

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
8. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
9. ^ 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