Where does “valedictory” come from?
Valedictory derives from Latin valedicere, meaning to say farewell, from vale (be strong) and dicere (say), tracing to Proto-Italic walēō and Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁-.
valedictory (English): Of, or pertaining to, a valedictorian; Bidding...
Definitions
- Of, or pertaining to, a valedictorian; Bidding...
Ancestry of “valedictory”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | valedicere | present active infinitive of valedīcō;... |
| 2 | Latin | valedico | I bid farewell; I give a valediction |
| 3 | Latin | vale | Goodbye, farewell; second-person singular present... |
| 4 | Latin | valeo | I am strong, I have strength, I have influence, I... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | walēō | to be strong |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |