valerian

From Old French valeriane or Medieval Latin valeriāna, a reinterpretation of what is found as German Baldrian after valēre (“to be powerful”) or also the gentilic name Valerius, which is seemingly borrowed in the Dark Age period from the late 6^th to early 8^th century from Turkic or Proto-Mongolic, when the Pannonian Avars were direct neighbours to the Germans, notably also present in Hungarian bojtorján (“burdock”), ultimately from Proto-Mongolic, reflected as
Middle Mongolian ᠪᠠᠯᠴᠢᠷᠭᠠᠨ᠎ᠠ (balčirɣan-a, “false hellebore; angelica”), composed as ᠪᠠᠯᠴᠢᠷ (balčir, “infant; young, tender, fresh, rank”) + plant name suffix  ᠭᠠᠨᠠ (-ɣana),
Mongolian балчиргана (balčirgana, “false hellebore; angelica”), composed as балчир (balčir, “infant; young, tender, fresh, rank”) + plant name suffix -гана (-gana).

See Ottoman Turkish بالدران‎ (baldıran, “hemlock”) for Turkic cognates.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /vəˈlɪəɹɪən/
• Homophone: Valyrian

valerian (countable and uncountable, plural valerians)

1. A hardy perennial flowering plant, Valeriana officinalis, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers.
2. More generally, any plant of the genus Valeriana.
3. (uncountable) The root of Valeriana officinalis, used in herbal medicine.

• (Valeriana officinalis): allheal, cat thyme

• Ravelian