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

It forms 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 is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: 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."

city in North Carolina, U.S., founded 1792 and named for English soldier/explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618).

also Walter Mitty, in reference to an adventurous daydreamer, by 1950, from title character in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," short story by U.S. author James Thurber (1894-1961) first published in the New Yorker March 18, 1939.

acronym for not in my back yard, 1980, American English, supposedly coined by Walter Rodgers of the American Nuclear Society. Related" Nimbyism.

"displeased, slightly offended," by 1824, past-participle adjective from miff (v.). Sir Walter Scott calls it "a women's phrase."

furred leather pouch, 1753, sparren, from Gaelic sporan, Irish sparan "purse," of uncertain origin. Familiarized by Walter Scott.