Monday, July 18, 2011

Verbum Hodiernum: VALDE



Today's word is VALDE, which is an adverb.

Latin meaning and usage: The word literally means "strongly," but it comes to serve as a general intensifer meaning "very" or "much." This is an extremely common word in medieval Latin, although you can also find it used in classical authors, too.

Latin word formation: The word valde is the adverbial form of the adjective validus (valide > valde), so it literally means "strongly" while more generally it simply means "very" or "very much." The root is the same you see in the verb valeo, "be strong, powerful."

English cognates and derivatives: We get the English word "valid" from the Latin word validus, from which valde is formed.

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below:

Quod valde volumus, facile credimus.

Quod facio, valde facio.

Humilia valde spiritum tuum.

Saepe etiam est olitor valde opportuna locutus.

Valde frequens haustus non est, mihi credite, faustus.








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