Where does “valet” come from?

valet (Middle French) comes from Old French vaslet, from Medieval Latin vassellittus, from Latin vassallus, from Latin vassus, from Gaulish wassos, from Proto-Celtic wāstos, from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- — to leave, abandon, give out.

valet (Middle French): manservant; attendant

Definitions

  1. manservant; attendant

Ancestry of “valet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchvasletmanservant; young gentleman
2Medieval Latinvassellittus—
3Latinvassallusvassal; servant
4Latinvassusvassal of vassals; servant
5Gaulishwassosyoung man, squire
6Proto-Celticwāstosempty
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁weh₂-to leave, abandon, give out

Words derived from “valet”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic wāstos →Every word from Gaulish wassos →