The word "valorise" in Fernbach's translation of Capital

Submitted by martin on 31 October, 2010 - 12:12 Author: Martin Thomas

German original of last sentence of 5th-from-last para of Chapter 4 of Capital:

Der ursprünglich vorgeschoßne Wert erhält sich daher nicht nur in der Zirkulation, sondern in ihr verändert er seine Wertgröße, setzt einen Mehrwert zu oder verwertet sich. Und diese Bewegung verwandelt ihn in Kapital.

French text (independently revised by Marx):

Non seulement donc la valeur avancée se conserve dans la circulation; mais elle y change encore sa grandeur, y ajoute un plus, se fait valoir davantage, et c'est ce mouvement qui la transforme en capital.

Moore-Aveling translation:

The value originally advanced, therefore, not only remains intact while in circulation, but adds to itself a surplus-value or expands itself. It is this movement that converts it into capital.

Fernbach translation:

The value originally advanced, therefore, not only remains intact while in circulation, but increases its magnitude, adds to itself a surplus-value, or is valorised. And this movement converts it into capital.

Literal translation of the German:

The originally advanced value thus not only preserves itself in circulation, but also there changes its magnitude of value, adds on a surplus value or turns itself to good account. And this movement transforms it into capital.

Literal translation of the French:

Not only, thus, does the value advanced conserves itself in circulation; but it also changes its magnitude there, adds on an extra, makes itself worth more, and it is this movement which transforms it into capital.

German dictionary:

verwerten (verwertet ptp) vt to make use of, to utilise
[Reste] to use, to make use of
[Kenntnisse, Erfahrungen] to utilise, to put to good use (kommerziell) [Erfindung, Material etc] to exploit
[Körper] [Nahrung] to process
dieser Stoff wird sich gut für ein Kleid verwerten lassen this material will make a nice dress

verwerten is not, as I understand it, a technical term in German, but rather a commonplace (though not particularly common) word with, like many German verbs, a big variety of meanings according to context. http://synonyme.woxikon.de gives 140 synonyms for it, classified under nine different shades of meaning.

The word valorise existed in English before Fernbach's translation of Capital, but was not much used. Merriam-Webster defines it as follows:

Definition of VALORIZE
1
: to enhance or try to enhance the price, value, or status of by organized and usually governmental action
2
: to assign value or merit to : validate

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