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validity ► Valparaiso I 1983
validity In logic, the property of an argument consisting in the fact that the truth of the premises logically guarantees the truth of the conclusion. Whenever the premises are true, the conclusion must be true, because of the form of the argument. Some arguments that fail to be valid are accept¬ able on grounds other than formal logic (e.g., inductively strong argu¬ ments), and their conclusions are supported with less than logical necessity. Where the support yields high probability of the conclusion relative to the premises, such arguments are sometimes called inductively valid. In other purportedly persuasive arguments, the premises actually provide no rational grounds for accepting the conclusion; such defective forms of argument are called fallacies (see fallacy, formal and informal).
valine \'va-,len, 'va-,len\ One of the essential amino acids, found in most proteins. Produced industrially by hydrolysis of proteins or by chemical synthesis, it is used in biochemical and nutritional research and as a dietary supplement.
Valium Trademark for a preparation of diazepam. A tranquillizing drug used to treat anxiety and tension states and as an aid in sedation, first introduced in 1963, it belongs to the group of chemically related com¬ pounds called benzodiazepines, the first of which was synthesized in 1933. Side effects include drowsiness and muscular incoordination; physi¬ cal dependence can result after prolonged use. The discovery of Valium and similar drugs led to a new era in psychopharmacology.
Valkyrie \val-'kir-e, 'val-ko-re\ In Germanic religion, any of a group of maidens sent by Odin to select slain warriors worthy of a place in Val¬ halla. They rode to the battlefield on horses or, in some accounts, flew through the air and sea. Some had the power to cause the death of war¬ riors they disliked; others guarded the lives and ships of those they favoured. According to various myths, they were either purely supernatu¬ ral or human with supernatural powers; they were associated with fair¬ ness, brightness, and gold as well as with bloodshed.
Valla \'val-la\, Lorenzo (b. 1407, Rome, Papal States—d. Aug. 1, 1457, Rome) Italian humanist, philosopher, and literary critic. Unable to find a post as a papal secretary, Valla left Rome in 1430 and spent five years traveling in northern Italy. He was royal secretary and historian for Alfonso V of Aragon (1435—48). In his polemical style, he criticized the works of Boethius (for his viewpoint), Aristotle (for his “barbarisms,” among other things), and Cicero (for his prose style). Found heretical by the Inquisition for his refusal to believe that the Apostles’ Creed was com¬ posed by the 12 Apostles, he narrowly avoided being burned at the stake. His Elegantiae linguae Latinae (printed 1471; “Elegances of the Latin Language”) was the first textbook of Latin grammar written since late antiquity. His Annotations on the New Testament (printed 1505) was his last major work.
Valladolid \,va-l3-d9-'lid,\ Spanish \,bal-ya-tho-Teth\ City (pop., 2001: 316,580), capital of the autonomous community of Castile-Leon, Spain. First mentioned in 1074, it was the seat of the Castilian court until c. 1600. The Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, were married there in 1469. It suffered heavy damage by fire in 1561 and by the French during the Peninsular War. Industry and commerce are eco¬ nomic mainstays. It has many medieval buildings, and its university (founded 1346) is one of Spain’s oldest. Christopher Columbus died in Val¬ ladolid in 1506.
Vallandigham \v3-'lan-di-g3m\, Clement L(aird) (b. July 29,1820, Lisbon, Ohio, U.S.—d. June 17, 1871, Lebanon, Ohio) U.S. politician. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1857-63), where he became a leader of the antiwar Copperheads and the secret Knights of the Golden Circle (later Sons of Liberty). As a result of his vociferous criti¬ cism of Pres. Abraham Lincoln’s administration and its pursuit of the American Civil War, he was arrested and found guilty of treasonable sen¬ timents (1863) and was sentenced to exile in the South. He soon made his way to Canada and later illegally to Ohio. While in Canada he was nominated for governor by the Ohio Peace Democrats, but he was easily defeated. He later criticized the Reconstruction policy of the Republicans as both unconstitutional and tyrannical.
Valle d'Aosta \,va-la-da-'6s-t9\ Autonomous region (pop., 2001 pre¬ lim.: 119,356), northwestern Italy. Covering an area of 1,259 sq mi (3,262 sq km), it is enclosed on three sides by the Alps; the capital is Aosta. Originally the territory of the Celtic Salassi, it was annexed by the Romans. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, it formed part of the Burgundian and Frankish kingdoms. It was acquired
in the 11th century by the house of Savoy. The autonomous region of Valle d’Aosta was created in 1945, in recognition of the area’s special French linguistic and cultural orientation. It is important for dairy products and tourism.
Valle-lncldn Vbal-ya-eq-'klanN, Ramon Maria del orig. Ramon Valle y Villanueva de Arosa (b. Oct. 28, 1866, Villanueva de Arosa, Spain—d. Jan. 5, 1936, Santiago de Compostela) Spanish novel¬ ist, playwright, and poet. Early on he was influenced by the Symbolist movement, and his first four works, collectively called the Sonatas (1902- 05), are evocatively written in a tone of refined and elegant decadence. Some later plays and novels take an intentionally absurdist and cruelly satiric tone to express what he saw as the Spanish deformation of Euro¬ pean civilization; representative are the play Bohemian Lights (1921) and the novel The Court of Miracles (1927).
Vallee \'val-e\, Rudy orig. Hubert Prior Vallee (b. July 28, 1901, Island Pond, Vt., U.S.—d. July 3, 1986, North Hollywood, Calif.) U.S. singer and entertainer. He performed as a musician while at Yale Univer¬ sity and in 1928 formed a dance band, the Yale Collegians (later the Con¬ necticut Yankees). A singing bandleader, he used his trademark megaphone to amplify his suave, light-toned voice. He made his screen debut in The Vagabond Lover (1929) and evolved into a light comedian and character actor. On radio he hosted the first major network variety hour. The Rudy Vallee Show (1929-43), and discovered new talent such as Alice Faye and Edgar Bergen.
Vallejo \v9-'la-o\ City (pop., 2000: 116,760), western California, U.S. It is located on San Pablo Bay, near Oakland. Settled in 1850, it served as the state capital for seven days in January 1852 and for a month in 1853. The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (established 1854; closed 1996) ensured the city’s survival. It is now a commuter and transportation hub for the North Bay Area. It is home to the California Maritime Academy (founded 1929).
Valletta \vo-Te-to\ Seaport city (pop., 1999 est.: 7,100), capital of Malta. It is located on a rocky promontory with harbours on either side. Built after the Great Siege of Malta (1565), which checked the advance of Ottoman power in southern Europe, it was named after Jean Parisot de la Valette, grand master of the Knights of Malta. It became the Maltese capital in 1570. After 1814 it was made the principal base of the British Mediterranean naval fleet and remained important through World War II, during which it suffered heavy damage from bombing raids. Several 16th- century buildings still exist. The city’s economy relies mainly on trade and tourism.