Valeting

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The professional cleaning, polishing, and maintenance of vehicles to keep them in optimal condition ; the service of parking and retrieving cars for customers at establishments
2. Services involving thorough washing and upkeep of cars to enhance their appearance ; the act of taking care of customers' vehicles by parking and later returning them
3. The process of cleaning and preserving the quality of vehicles through specialized care ; the assistance provided by attendants who park cars and bring them back upon request

Etymology: Valeting is the -ing form of "valet," and the verb's journey begins with a servant who was once a young man of standing. The root travels back to a Gaulish word, "wassos," meaning "young man" or "squire," which is related to Old Irish "foss" and Welsh "gwas," both meaning servant or young man. Through Late Latin "vassallus," meaning manservant or retainer, it reached Old French as "vaslet," a diminutive that became the Middle French "valet." The word is a doublet of "varlet," which took a different path through English. Both came from the same French source, but one was borrowed in a form close to its French original while the other was worn down into a more English-sounding shape. Over time "varlet" came to mean a rascal or a low fellow, while "valet" kept its sense of a personal attendant. The car-related sense is a modern extension. Attendants who parked and fetched vehicles for guests gave the older servant word a new job, and "valeting" then came to name the cleaning and upkeep of cars as well.

Synonyms: serving, attending