velum

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈweː.ɫũː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈvɛː.lum]^[1]

Forms

vēlum n (genitive vēlī); second declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *wekslo-, as the diminutive vēxillum “banner” shows (compare pālus and paxillus).^[2][1] De Vaan connects the root either with *weǵʰ- “to convey” (as in vehō), which suits the sense less well, or with Proto-Indo-European *weg- (“to weave”), seen in Old Irish figid (“weaves”) and Old English wice (“wick”).^[2] Gaffiot separates the sense “sail”, from *vexlum, from the sense “cloth”, which he derives from *veslum and relates to vestis.^[3] The OLD calls the origin doubtful.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Naevius.^[2] Plautus has a ship reaching port “with spread sail” (vēlō passō).^[4] Köbler dates Naevius c. 235–200 BC.^[5]

Semantic evolution

It was a sail, and vēla dare “to give the sails to the winds” meant to set sail.^[4] It was also a sheet stretched for shade, a curtain over a doorway or a litter, and any woven cloth.^[4]

In church Latin it was a wall hanging, an altar cloth or Lenten veil, and the veil a nun took.^[6] The plural vēla, taken as a feminine, gave French voile, and through Anglo-French English veil about 1200.^[1][7] Medical Latin used it for the soft palate, whence English velum (1771) and velar.^[7]

Timeline

• c. 235–200 BC – Naevius uses it.^[2][5]
• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus has a ship arrive with spread sail.^[4][5]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of tents covered with linen awnings.^[4][5]
• c. 1200 – English veil is recorded, for a nun's headdress.^[7]
• 1771 – English velum is recorded for the soft palate.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A sail, vēla dare, to set sail.^[4]
2. An awning.^[4]
3. A curtain (over a door or litter).^[4]
4. A woven cloth.^[4]
5. (Ecclesiastical Latin) A church hanging; an altar cloth; a nun's veil.^[6]

Word family

• vēlāris
• vēlārium
• vēlārius
• vēlifer
• vēlificātiō
• vēlificium
• vēlificō
• vēlificor
• vēlificus
• vēliger
• vēxillum

Related words

• vēlābrum
• vēlāmen
• vēlāmentum
• vēlātiō
• vēlātō
• vēlō
• vehō
• English veil
• English velum

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
7. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com