value / valence
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value
The importance, significance, or rank that a thing, person, or action has.
Die Wertigkeit von Familie hat in seinem Leben immer eine große Rolle gespielt.
The value of family has always played a major role in his life.
'Wertigkeit' (value/valence) is an abstract noun derived from the adjective 'wertig' (valuable/high-quality). This in turn comes from the noun 'der Wert' (value). The ending '-keit' forms nouns that describe a quality or state.
Die hohe Wertigkeit dieses Schmuckstücks ist offensichtlich.
The high value of this piece of jewelry is obvious.
The meaning of 'Wertigkeit' (value/valence) depends strongly on the field. In everyday language, it is about ideal or symbolic value (m01). In chemistry, it describes the number of bonds an atom can form (m02); in linguistics, the number of complements of a verb (m03).
Die Wertigkeit von Freundschaft kann man nicht in Geld messen.
The value of friendship cannot be measured in money.
In its general meaning, 'Wertigkeit' (value) is often used to describe the significance of something. Typical formulations are 'eine hohe/geringe Wertigkeit haben' (to have high/low value) or 'die Wertigkeit von etwas betonen' (to emphasize the value of something).
In unserer Firma hat die Zufriedenheit der Mitarbeiter eine hohe Wertigkeit.
In our company, employee satisfaction has high value.
This meaning is a purely technical term from chemistry. It is used almost exclusively in this context and is a synonym for 'Valenz' (valence).
Wasserstoff hat die Wertigkeit eins, da es eine Bindung eingehen kann.
Hydrogen has a valence of one because it can form one bond.
value
'der Wert' and 'die Wertigkeit' can both express that something is important. However, 'Wert' is much more general: you can talk about moral values or say that you place value on something. 'Wertigkeit' more often refers to the importance or rank that something has in a particular situation. Learners may confuse the words because they sound similar and both have to do with importance. In everyday language, 'Wert' usually sounds more natural; 'Wertigkeit' fits better when evaluating or comparing something.
Nach dem Gespräch bekam das Thema Sicherheit eine höhere Wertigkeit.
After the conversation, the topic of safety was given higher priority.
Für meine Familie hat Ehrlichkeit einen hohen Wert.
For my family, honesty has great value.