Etymograph

English

invalescence

Invalescence comes from Latin invalēscō ‘to become strong’, from valeō ‘to have strength, influence, power’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēō1‘to be strong’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleō2‘to have strength, influence, power’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvalēscō3‘grow strong’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvalēscō4as invalescere, present participle‘to become strong’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvalescens4
  8. Englishtodayinvalescence4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin valeo
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin valesco
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin invalesco
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English invalescence

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂welh₁-Wiktionary, Latin valeoreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yetiWiktionary, Latin valeoreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*walēōWiktionary, Latin valeo‘to be strong’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvaleōWiktionary, Latin valesco‘to have strength, influence, power’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvalēscōWiktionary, Latin invalesco‘grow strong’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvalēscōWiktionary, English invalescenceas invalescere, present participle‘to become strong’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEinvalescensWiktionary, English invalescence
  8. EnglishtodayinvalescenceWiktionary, English invalescence

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁-

wild, wool, velvet, validation, wield, fluff, flannel, validate, valiant, cuckold, velour, lanolin, woll, valorous, 35 more

through Proto-Italic *walēō ‘to be strong’

value, validity, ambivalent, ambivalence, valence, 12 more

through Latin valeō ‘to have strength, influence, power’

valid, equivalent, valuation, avail, vale, vail, valour, 16 more

through Latin valēscō ‘grow strong’

convalescent, convalescence

Today it means

noun strength; health

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “invalescence”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin valeo, Latin valesco, Latin invalesco. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- / invalescence

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