Etymology Dictionary

VALANCE,  a fringe of drapery, now applied to a part of the bed-hangings.  (F.,—L.)   In Shak. Tam. Shrew, ii. 356; he also has valanced = fringed.   Haml. ii. 2. 442.   'Rich cloth of tissue, and vallance of black silk;' Strype, Eccles. Mem. Funeral Solemnities of Henry VIII.   Cf. 'A litel kerchef of Valence;' Chaucer, Assembly of Foules, 272.   Prob. named from Valence in France, not far to the S. of Lyons, where silk is made even to this day; Lyons silks are well known.   Sir Aymer de Valence, whose widow founded Pembroke College, Cambridge, may have taken his name from the same place.   Valence = Lat. Ualentia, a name given to more towns than one, and clearly a derivative of ualere (pres. part. ualent-), to be strong; whence also the names Valens and Valentinian; see Valiant.   ¶ See Todd; Johnson derives Valence from Valencia in Spain; but, though this is a sea-port, we have yet to learn that it is, or was, famous for silk.   Mahn (in Webster) derives valance (without evidence) from a supposed Norm. F. valaunt, answering to F. avalant, pres. part. of avaler, to let fall; for which see Avalanche.