Where does “valedictorian” come from?
Valedictorian comes from English valediction, from Latin valedicere, from Latin valedico, from Latin vale meaning "be strong," from Latin valeo, from Proto-Italic walēō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti.
valedictorian (English): The individual in a graduating class who delivers...
Definitions
- The individual in a graduating class who delivers...
Ancestry of “valedictorian”, step by step
valedictorian traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English valedictory
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | valedictory | Of, or pertaining to, a valedictorian; Bidding... |
| 2 | Latin | valedicere | present active infinitive of valedīcō;... |
| 3 | Latin | valedico | I bid farewell; I give a valediction |
| 4 | Latin | vale | Goodbye, farewell; second-person singular present... |
| 5 | Latin | valeo | I am strong, I have strength, I have influence, I... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | walēō | to be strong |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |
via Latin valedīcere
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | valedīcere | — |