valere Italian · revision 38229

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1219|origins=ine-pro *h₂welh₁-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /vaˈle.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''valere''' (first-person singular present vàlgo, first-person singular past historic vàlsi, past participle vàlso, first-person singular future varrò, auxiliary èssere or (transitive) avére)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|valeō|alt=valēre|t=to be strong; to be worth]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The Latin verb first meant “to be strong”, and, of coins, “to have a value”, and then “to be well”.^(DELI 1999) The word is pan-Romance except for Romanian: [[fr|valoir]], [[oc|valer]], [[ca|valdre]], [[es|valer]], [[pt|valer]], [[sc|balere]] and [[rm|valair]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3979)^(REW 1935)

+

+ According to de Vaan, the Latin verb continues [[itc-pro|*walē-]] and a stative [[ine-pro|*h₂ulh₁-eh₁-|t=to be strong]].^(de Vaan 2008) The root also gave words for ruling: [[sga|flaith|t=sovereignty]], [[lt|valdýti|t=to govern]], [[cu|власть|tr=vlastĭ|t=power]], [[got|𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌳𐌰𐌽|tr=waldan|t=to rule]] and [[goh|waltan|t=to rule]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(de Vaan 2008)^(Devoto 1968)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the verb to 1219, in the sense “to count, to hold good”.^(GRADIT 2003) In the Sicilian poets it means “to be of worth”: Giacomo da Lentini strives ''ch'io cotanto valesse'' (“that I might be worth so much”) in the eyes of his lady.^(GDLI) DELI's earliest dated sense is “to have power, authority” in Dante's ''Paradiso'' (1300–1313): ''Donna, se' tanto grande e tanto vali'' (“Lady, you are so great and have such power”).^(DELI 1999)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Boccaccio uses ''valere'' for people, “to be able, capable”, and for things, “to cost, to have a price” (1348–1353).^(DELI 1999) The legal sense “to be valid, to have effect” is recorded in the Calimala merchants' statute of 1332–1337, and the sense “to be equal or comparable to” in Marco Polo.^(DELI 1999) Paolo Segneri (1673) uses it for “to mean, to correspond to”, the sense of ''vale a dire'' “that is to say”.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3979) The pronominal ''valersi di'' “to make use of” is modern (1891), while an older ''valersene'' meant “to take revenge” (Machiavelli, 1518).^(DELI 1999)

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+ The infinitive was used as a noun, ''il valere'', for value or price: in Boccaccio a man is promised ''il valere'' of much more than he has lost.^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The verb's family carries the same senses: ''valore'' “worth, valour”, a key word of Dante's, ''valente'' “able”, and ''valuta'' “value”, later “currency”, from the old past participle ''valuto''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Valere un Perù'', “to be worth a fortune”, follows French ''c'est un Pérou'' (1688).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1219 – GRADIT's date for the verb.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1300–1313 – Dante uses ''valere'' for “to have power”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1304–1308 – Dante uses the noun ''valore''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1332–1337 – The Calimala statute uses it for “to be valid”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to cost” and “to be capable”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1518 – Machiavelli's ''Mandragola'' has ''valersene'' “to take revenge”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1673 – Paolo Segneri uses it for “to mean”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1891 – ''Valersi'' “to make use of” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To have power, authority or influence, to [[m|en|count]]: ''In questa famiglia la mia opinione non vale niente.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Of a person: to be capable, to be good at something: ''È un'insegnante che vale molto.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # To be [[m|en|valid]], to hold good, to apply: ''Il biglietto vale per due corse.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be of use, to avail: ''Le sue proteste non sono valse a nulla.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be [[m|en|worth]], to have a certain price or value: ''Quell'anello vale una fortuna.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be equal to, to mean, as in ''vale a dire'' “that is to say”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In games, to count towards the score: ''in questo gioco il fante vale due punti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(pronominal, valersi di)'' To make use of: ''Si è valso dell'aiuto di un esperto.''^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[valore]]

+ * [[valente]]

+ * [[valentia]]

+ * [[valentuomo]]

+ * [[valenza]]

+ * [[valevole]]

+ * [[valuta]]

+ * [[valutare]]

+ * [[valsente]]

+ * [[avvalersi]]

+ * [[rivalersi]]

+ * [[rivalsa]]

+ * [[invalere]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vaglia]]

+ * [[valersi]]

+ * [[valido]]

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+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Valere'' takes ''essere'' as its auxiliary (''è valso la pena'').^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010) Common phrases include ''valere la pena'' “to be worth the trouble”, ''farsi valere'' “to assert oneself”, ''tanto vale'' “one might as well”, and the children's protest ''non vale!'' “that's not fair!”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}