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vélin

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Etymology and origin of the French word vélin

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1245 Vie de seint Auban More words from the 13th century
Ultimate origin
Latin vitellus
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin vitulus
Latin vitellus
French veau
Italian vitello
Romanian vițel
French vélin
From the same root
Latin vitula ← vitulus

Pronunciation

Forms

vélin m (plural vélins)[1] Old French veeslin (once, about 1245), veelin;[2][3] Middle French velin (1360); the accented vélin is found from 1664.[2][3]

Etymology

It is formed from Old French veel (“calf”) + -in.[2][3][1] The Old French noun is the old form of veau, from Latin vitellus (“calf”).[1][4]

The English word vellum (early 15th century) was taken from Old French velin.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is veeslin in the Vie de seint Auban (about 1245): mun livre escrit en veeslin, for fine parchment made from the skin of a stillborn calf.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

An adjective velin “of calf” is recorded in 1415 but did not last.[3] The noun kept the sense of fine calfskin parchment, used for manuscripts, miniatures and bindings;[3][7] peau de vélin is recorded from 1694.[3][7] From 1829 it also named a book printed on vellum.[2]

By the idea of fineness it named a lace of Alençon, also called point royal (1723).[2][3][7] Papier vélin (1798, the Académie), shortened to vélin in 1811, is a very white, smooth paper imitating vellum;[2][3][6] Littré disapproved of the short form.[2][3][6] Toile véline (1869) and toile vélin (1904) are a metal gauze used to emboss the watermark of banknotes.[2][3]

Timeline

  • c. 1245 – Veeslin in the Vie de seint Auban.[2]
  • second half of the 13th century – Veelin in a fabliau.[2]
  • 1360 – Velin in an inventory of the Duke of Anjou's jewels.[2]
  • early 15th century – English vellum is first recorded.[5]
  • 1664 – The spelling vélin is found in the royal building accounts.[2]
  • 1723 – Savary uses it for a lace of Alençon.[2][3]
  • 1798 – The Académie records papier-vélin.[2]
  • 1869 – Toile véline in the Revue des Deux Mondes.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Fine vellum made from the skin of a stillborn calf, smoother than ordinary parchemin, used for writing, illumination and binding.[8][2]
  2. An old book printed on vellum.[2]
  3. Papier vélin or vélin: a very white, fine-grained paper.[8][2]
  4. (dated) A lace of Alençon, also called point royal.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b c d Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Vélin.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/v%C3%A9lin. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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