valoir French · revision 17364

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1050, Vie de saint Alexis (valeir)|origins=la valeō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /va.lwaʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''valoir'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|valeir]] (about 1050), ''valoir'' from 1080.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|valeir]], [[inh|la|valeō|t=to be strong, be well; to be worth]].^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(FEW|14, 130a)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb meant “to be strong, healthy, powerful, valid” and, of coins, “to be worth”, Rey compares [[cu|владѫ|tr=vladǫ|t=to rule]] and [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽|tr=waldan|t=to rule]].^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Cognate with [[it|valere]], [[oc|valer]], [[es|valer]] and [[pt|valer]].^(REW 1935)^(Littré 1873)

+

+ ==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”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the ''Chanson de Roland'' it is said of a person's merit, “to be the equal of”.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992) ''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).^(DHLF 1992)^(TLFi) ''Ne faire rien qui vaille'' is from the 14th–16th centuries, and ''valoir la peine'' from about 1625 (d'Aubigné).^(TLFi) ''Vaille que vaille'' “for better or worse” goes back to the 13th century.^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ 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]].^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1050 – ''Valeir'' “to be worth”, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1100 – Of a person's worth, in the ''Chanson de Roland''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1160–1174 – “To yield”, in Wace.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – ''Revaloir''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1538 – ''Faire valoir''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1565 – ''Vaurien''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1625 – ''Valoir la peine'', in d'Aubigné.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be [[m|en|worth]], cost: ''ce tableau vaut cher''.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # To be as good as, equal: ''l'un vaut l'autre'', ''(mathematics)'' to equal.^(Wiktionary)^(GLLF 1989)

+ # To deserve, be worth: ''cela vaut la peine'', ''valoir le détour''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # To earn, win: ''cela lui a valu une amende''.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # To apply, hold good: ''cela vaut pour tous''.^(GLLF 1989)

+ # ''Il vaut mieux'': it is better, ''faire valoir'': to stress, assert; to exploit.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Se valoir'': to be equivalent.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[vaillant]]

+ * [[valable]]

+ * [[revaloir]]

+ * [[vaurien]]

+ * [[faire-valoir]]

+ * [[plus-value]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[valence]]

+ * [[valeur]]

+ * [[valide]]

+ * [[valoriser]]

+ * [[évaluer]]

+ * [[prévaloir]]

+ * [[équivaloir]]

+ * [[la|valeō]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}