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velo

Etymology and origin of the Latin word velo

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Plautus
Ultimate origin
Latin (vēlum)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈweː.ɫoː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.lo][1]

Forms

vēlō (present infinitive vēlāre, perfect active vēlāvī, supine vēlātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from vēlum “covering, sail” with the verb suffix -ō.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of covering the head for a ritual.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to cover, wrap, clothe the body, as Livy's vēlātus togā “wrapped in his toga”, and in Ovid to conceal.[2][5] It meant to cover the head for a ritual, as Cicero's capite vēlātō, and to adorn buildings for a ceremony, as in Virgil.[2][3] It meant to cover over, of growth with fur or feathers, of things to conceal, and in Virgil vēlātus fitted with sails.[2] Ovid also uses it figuratively of veiling abstract things.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to cover, veil, hide, conceal, blindfold.[6] Its compound revēlāre “to unveil” is the source of English reveal.[7] It survives in Italian velare and French voiler.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of ritual covering.[2][4]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero has capite vēlātō.[3][4]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of ships fitted with sails.[2][4]
  • 43 BC–18 AD – Ovid uses it of concealing.[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To cover, clothe, wrap; to conceal.[2]
  2. To cover with fur or feathers.[2]
  3. To cover the head for a ritual; to adorn for a ceremony.[2]
  4. To cover over, vēlātus, fitted with sails.[2]
  5. To veil, hide.[2]

Word family

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon 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
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Velo.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/velo. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·