valiant

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₂welh₁-“powerful, strong; to rule”
2. Latin · derived fromvalēre“to have value; to be worth; to be strong; to have influence or power”
3. Old French · derived fromvailant
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromvaillaunt
5. Middle English · inherited fromvailaunt“having or showing courage or valour, valiant; characterized by valour; powerful, strong; person of valour or strength; excellent, worthy; beneficial, useful; valuable; legally valid, binding”
6. English todayvaliant

From Middle English vailaunt (“having or showing courage or valour, valiant; characterized by valour; powerful, strong; person of valour or strength; excellent, worthy; beneficial, useful; valuable; legally valid, binding”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman vaillaunt, vaylant [and other forms], and Old French vailant, vaillant (“brave, valiant; having value, valuable”) [and other forms], from the present participle of valoir (“to have value; to be worth”), from Latin valēre (“to have value; to be worth; to be strong; to have influence or power”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“powerful, strong; to rule”).

Words from the same roots