vello

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈwɛl.loː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛl.lo]^[1]

Forms

vellō (present infinitive vellere, perfect active vulsī or vellī, supine vulsum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *welnō, from Proto-Indo-European *welh₃- (“to hit, strike”), the root also of vulnus “wound”.^[1][2] The OLD compares Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌻𐍅𐌰𐌽 (wilwan).^[3] Its participle ⟨vulsus⟩ was formed by analogy, as in pellō.^[1] The perfect is ⟨vulsī⟩ or ⟨vellī⟩.^[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Cato, of pulling up plants.^[3] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to pluck out hair or feathers, as Horace's pilōs vellere, and to depilate, as in Varro.^[3][5] From Cato it meant to pull up plants by the roots, and in Virgil signa vellere to pull up the standards for marching, and to demolish buildings.^[3] It meant to pull out a weapon, as in Cicero, to pluck off, tear pieces from, and in Virgil to tug at, pluck.^[3] In Columella it meant to strain, sprain.^[3]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to pluck.^[6] It survives in Italian vellere and Romanian beli.^[1]

Timeline

• 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of pulling up plants.^[3][4]
• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of plucking hair.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of pulling out weapons.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses signa vellere.^[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. To pluck out; to depilate.^[3]
2. To uproot, signa vellere, to pull up the standards; to demolish.^[3]
3. To pull out; to pluck off; to tear at.^[3]
4. To tug at, pluck.^[3]
5. To strain, sprain.^[3]

Word family

• āvellō
• convellō
• dēvellō
• dīvellō
• ēvellō
• pervellō
• praevellō
• revellō
• subvellō
• vellicō

Related words

• lāna
• volnus
• vulnus

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson