Odolan – zagadkowa polska gwarowa nazwa kozłka lekarskiego (Valeriana officinalis L.)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to investigate the origin of the Polish dialectal name odolan, which refers to valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.). On the basis of historical‑comparative analysis of the Slavic language material, it can be concluded that the name odolan is probably a late borrowing from Ukrainian dialects. It is related to the Proto‑Slavic form *odolěn, which is a derivative of the verb *odolěti ‘to defeat, to win’, derived from the Proto‑Slavic *dolja ‘success or failure, good or bad fate, destiny’. The Proto‑Slavic form *odolěn is motivated by the widely known healing and magical properties of valerian, but it is not a calque of Med. Lat. valeriana, because this Latin name is unlikely to be related to the verb valēre ‘to be strong, powerful; have an advantage, dominate’, and is most likely an adjectival derivative from the name of the Roman province of Valeria.