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veles

Etymology and origin of the Latin word veles

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Confidence
Uncertain
First attested
Plautus

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈweː.ɫɛs][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.les][1]

Forms

vēles m (genitive vēlitis); third declension[1]

Etymology

Its origin is uncertain.[2] The OLD compares vēlōx “swift” and vehō “to carry”, with the ending of pedes “foot soldier”.[3][1] Walde and Hofmann derived it from *weǵʰ-slo- “driving”, which de Vaan finds implausible; if it comes from *weǵʰ- “to convey” at all, it meant a carrier, a soldier carrying goods, with the ending of pedes and eques.[2] That would weaken the link with vēlōx, and a link with vēlum “sail” is far-fetched.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Plautus.[2][4] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a light-armed foot soldier, a skirmisher who fought outside the line of battle, usually in the plural vēlitēs, as in Livy.[3][5][6] Inscriptions also use it of a type of gladiator.[3] Varro has the spelling vellitēs.[3] From it came vēlitārī “to skirmish, attack with words” and vēlitātiō, both in Plautus.[2]

In Medieval Latin it was still a light-armed foot soldier.[7] English velite is borrowed from it.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy describes the vēlitēs.[5][4]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A light-armed foot soldier, skirmisher.[3][5]
  2. A type of gladiator.[3]
  • English velite

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e f Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Veles.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/veles. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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