Valium

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A brand name for a medication used to reduce anxiety and relax muscles
2. Refers to a prescription drug that helps calm the brain and ease tension
3. The commercial name for a sedative that treats anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures

Etymology: Valium is a trademark coinage, built to sound like a promise. It was introduced by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche, and the name draws on the Latin "valere," meaning "to be strong, be well," the same root behind "value" and "valiant." The suffix "-ium" was a fashionable pharmaceutical ending of the period, lending the name a scientific air, so the word blends the sense of wellbeing with the sound of a chemical. The name's meaning comes from the drug's purpose rather than from any chemistry. Brand names of this kind were chosen for memorability and reassurance, and "Valium" suggests health and strength to anyone who hears it. Because the trademark became so widely known, people began using it as a generic word for any tranquilliser, a common fate for successful brand names.