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Origin and history of equivalent

equivalent(adj.)

early 15c., "equal in value, power, or effect," from Late Latin aequivalentem (nominative aequivalens) "equivalent," present participle of aequivalere "be equivalent," from Latin aequus "equal" (see equal (adj.)) + valere "be well, be worth" (from PIE root *wal- "to be strong"). As a noun from c. 1500, "that which is equal or corresponds to." Related: Equivalently.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to equivalent

equal(adj.)

late 14c., "identical in amount, extent, or portion;" early 15c., "even or smooth of surface," from Latin aequalis "uniform, identical, equal," from aequus "level, even, flat; as tall as, on a level with; friendly, kind, just, fair, equitable, impartial; proportionate; calm, tranquil," which is of unknown origin. Parallel formation egal (from Old French egal) was in use late 14c.-17c. Equal rights is from 1752; by 1854 in American English in reference to men and women. Equal opportunity (adj.) in terms of hiring, etc. is recorded by 1925.

equivalence(n.)

"equality in value, correspondence in signification, force, nature, etc.," 1540s, from French équivalence, from Medieval Latin aequivalentia, from Late Latin aequivalentem "equivalent" (see equivalent). Related: Equivalency (1530s).

*wal-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be strong."

It might form all or part of: ambivalence; Arnold; avail; bivalent; convalesce; countervail; Donald; equivalent; evaluation; Gerald; Harold; invalid (adj.1) "not strong, infirm;" invalid (adj.2) "of no legal force;" Isold; multivalent; polyvalent; prevalent; prevail; Reynold; Ronald; valediction; valence; Valerie; valetudinarian; valiance; valiant; valid; valor; value; Vladimir; Walter; wield.

It might also be the source of: Latin valere "be strong, be well, be worth;" Old Church Slavonic vlasti "to rule over;" Lithuanian valdyti "to have power;" Celtic *walos- "ruler," Old Irish flaith "dominion," Welsh gallu "to be able;" Old English wealdan "to rule," Old High German -walt, -wald "power" (in personal names), Old Norse valdr "ruler."

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    tantamount
    "equivalent as in value, force, signification, etc.," 1640s, from verbal phrase tant amount "be equivalent" (1620s), from Anglo-French tant amunter "amount to as much" (late 13c.), from Old French tant "as much" (11c., from Latin tantus, from tam "so;" see tandem) + amonter "amou
    margrave
    German title equivalent to count or earl, originally (from the time of Charlemagne) "military governor of a border province...Equivalent of marquis. His wife was a margravine....
    argot
    The best English equivalent is perhaps cant....The German equivalent is Rotwelsch, literally "Red Welsh," but the first element of that might be connected with Middle High...
    worth
    honorable, noble, of high rank; suitable for, proper, fit, capable," from Proto-Germanic *wertha- "toward, opposite," hence "equivalent...From c. 1200 as "equivalent to, of the value of, valued at; having importance equal to; equal in power to."...
    Andrew
    also of Spanish Andrés, Italian Andrea, German Andreas, Swedish and Danish Anders), from Greek Andreas, a personal name equivalent...Nearly equivalent to Charles....
    earl
    In Anglo-Saxon poetry, "a warrior, a brave man;" in later Old English, "nobleman," especially a Danish under-king (equivalent...After 1066 adopted as the equivalent of Latin comes (see count (n.1))....
    recompense
    c. 1400, recompensen, "to redress, provide as an equivalent," from Old French recompenser (14c.) and directly from Medieval...specifically as "to compensate, pay for services rendered or for loss of property, rights, etc.; make amends for by some equivalent...
    counterpart
    mid-15c., countre part "duplicate of a legal document," from French contrepartie, from contre "facing, opposite" (see contra (prep., adv.)) + partie "copy of a person or thing," originally fem. past participle of partir "to divide" (see party (n.)). Meaning "corresponding part, p
    knowledge
    early 12c., cnawlece "acknowledgment of a superior, honor, worship;" for the first element see know (v.). The second element is obscure, perhaps from Scandinavian and cognate with the -lock "action, process," found in wedlock. From late 14c. as "capacity for knowing, understandin
    substitute
    early 15c., substituten, transitive, "appoint (someone) to a position (in place of another)," a sense now obsolete, from Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere "put in place of another" (see substitution). The general sense of "put in place of another" in English is by

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