Etymologically
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validus

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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

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