English
validity
Validity comes from Latin validus ‘strong’, from valeō ‘to have strength, influence, power’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēō‘to be strong’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleō‘to have strength, influence, power’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvalidus‘strong’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvaliditas
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600validité
- Englishearliest quotation 1978validity
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēō‘to be strong’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleō‘to have strength, influence, power’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvalidus‘strong’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEvaliditas
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600validité
- Englishearliest quotation 1978validity
Earliest quotation: 1978, 1976, Leszek Kołakowski: “As we saw, there are strong suggestions in Marx's…”
Formed from valid + -ity
Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- ‘to be strong’
Latin valeō ‘to be strong’
Latin validus ‘strong’
Middle French valide ‘healthy, sound’
English valid
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-
wild, wool, velvet, wield, fluff, flannel, cuckold, valiant, velour, invalidate, woll, lanolin, valorous, 37 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti
through Proto-Italic *walēō ‘to be strong’
value, ambivalent, valence, convalescent, convalescence, 14 more
through Latin valeō ‘to have strength, influence, power’
equivalent, valuation, avail, vale, vail, valour, 18 more
through Latin validus ‘strong’
Today it means
noun The state of being valid, authentic or genuine.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- / validity