Verbum Hodiernum: VALEO

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VALEO Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is the second-conjugation verb, VALEO, meaning "be strong, be well, be effective." One of the most common uses of this word was to refer to personal health (Valesne? Are you well? Valeo! I am well) and as such it was also used in leave-taking, with Vale! being equivalent to our "Goodbye!" There are various abbreviations used in letter-writing which invoke this word: S.V.B.E., si vales, bene est, for example, or S.V.B.E.E.V., si vales, bene est; ego valeo.

The val- root, meaning "strong," is extremely productive in Latin, and we consequently get many English words from this Latin root, such as "valid" and "invalid", "valence" and "ambivalent," "valor" and "valiant," and even the personal name Valerie. In addition, via French, we get the words "avail, available," etc. Even the English word "value" comes from this root!

Here are just some examples of valeo in proverbs I have tentatively selected to include in the Scala Sapientiae!

Virtus semper valet.

Non vivere, sed valere vera vita est.

Non vivere, sed valere, vita est.

Quam bene valere, melius in vita nihil.

Volo, non valeo.

Res plus valent quam verba.

Plus valent oculi quam oculus.

Plus valet actum quam scriptum.

Fortuna hominibus plus quam consilium valet.

Fortuna nulli plus quam consilium valet.

Plus legibus arma valent.

Ibi valet populus, ubi valent leges.

Aurum quid valet!

Ratio fatum vincere nulla valet.

Contra vim non valet ius.

Sine ope divina nihil valemus.

Quae non valeant singula, iuncta iuvant.

Iuncti valemus.

Plus sonat quam valet.

Plus valet bonum nomen, quam divitiae multae.

Valere malo quam dives esse.

Ratio contra vim parum valet.

Non est opus valentibus medico, sed male habentibus.

Plurimum valet gallus in aedibus suis.

Nulla valet tantum virtus, patientia quantum.

Ubi iudicat, qui accusat, vis, non lex valet.

Testimonium unius non valet.

Si non currere, saltare saltem vales.

Facile omnes cum valemus, recta consilia aegrotis damus.

Ferrum quando calet cudere quisque valet.

Plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla in silvis.

Plus valet passer in dextra quam quattuor extra.

Plus valet in dextra munus quam plurima extra.






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