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val·e·tu·di·nar·i·an

(văl′ĭ-td′n-ârē-ən, -tyd′-)

A sickly or weak person, especially one who is constantly and morbidly concerned with one's own personal health and well-being.

adj.

1. Chronically ailing; sickly.

2. Constantly and morbidly concerned with one's health.

[From Latin valētūdinārius, from valētūdō, valētūdin-, state of health, from valēre, to be strong or well; see wal- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

val′e·tu′di·nari·an·ism n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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