Etymology Map
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Value

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means the importance or worth of something

Where does the word "value" come from? It comes from Latin valere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
valere
Latin · ancient
"to be strong, be worth"
the root of 'valiant' and 'valid'
2
Stage 2 of 3
valoir
Old French · medieval
"to be worth"
its past participle 'value' became a noun
3
Stage 3 of 3
value
English · 1300s
"worth"
'values' as moral principles dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Value’s story begins in Latin: valere meant “to be strong, be worth.” The root of 'valiant' and 'valid'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as valoir. Its past participle 'value' became a noun. It reached English by 1300s as value. 'values' as moral principles dates from the 1900s. Today, value means the importance or worth of something.