veiller French · revision 17657

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 1120, Oxford Psalter|origins=la vigil}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /vɛ.je/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA: /ve.je/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''veiller'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|veillier]] (about 1120), [[m|fro|villier]] (1176–84); ''veiller'' from the late 12th century.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|veillier]], [[inh|la|vigilō|t=to be awake; to be watchful; to tend]], through a contracted Vulgar Latin form.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary)^(FEW|14, 435b) The Latin verb is derived from [[m|la|vigilia|t=wakefulness, night watch]], the source of [[veille]], and, from [[m|la|vigil|t=awake, watchful]].^(DHLF 1992)^(GLLF 1989) The Petit Robert traces the adjective to [[m|la|vigeō|t=to be strong, thrive]], from an Indo-European root meaning “to be strong, alert”, which also gave the Germanic verbs for waking, as in [[de|wachen]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Littré 1873) It is a doublet of the learned [[vigiler]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|veghea]], [[pro|velhar]], [[ca|vetllar]], [[es|velar]] and [[pt|vigiar]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the Oxford Psalter (about 1120) ''veillier'' means to be awake, not to sleep during the time meant for sleep.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Old French the verb meant especially to stand guard (about 1180) and also to wake up (about 1200).^(DHLF 1992) In 1210 it took the sense of staying constantly alert in order to act if needed, the source of ''veiller à'', to see to something.^(TLFi)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ Transitively it meant to keep someone awake (1340), to sit up at night with a dead person (1409) or with a sick person (1465), and, from Montaigne (about 1590), to keep watch over someone or something.^(TLFi)^(Petit Robert 2007) In France it now means not to go to bed, whereas in Quebec it is used for spending the evening with others (''veiller chez des amis'').^(DHLF 1992)^(Wiktionary) In computing it means to put a device in standby mode.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1120 – ''Veillier'' “to be awake” in the Oxford Psalter.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1180 – “To stand guard”.^(DHLF 1992)

+ * 1210 – “To stay alert”, in ''Foulque de Candie''.^(TLFi)

+ * 1409 – To sit up with a dead person.^(TLFi)

+ * 1465 – To sit up with a sick person.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1590 – Montaigne: to watch over.^(TLFi)

+ * 1690 – ''Veiller'' “to spend the evening in company”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To stay up, stay awake during the time usually given to sleep: ''veiller jusqu'au jour''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To keep [[m|en|watch]], be on guard; to be [[m|en|vigilant]]: ''la police veille''.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''Veiller à'': to see to, look after: ''veiller à ce que…''.^(Wiktionary)^(TLFi)

+ # ''Veiller sur'': to [[m|en|watch over]] (someone).^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To sit up at night with (a sick person); to keep a wake over (a dead person).^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(Quebec)'' To spend the evening out or with friends.^(Wiktionary)^(DHLF 1992)

+ # ''(computing)'' To put in standby mode.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[éveiller]]

+ * [[réveiller]]

+ * [[surveiller]]

+ * [[veille]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[vigilant]]

+ * [[vigile]]

+ * [[la|vigilō]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The Grand Robert gives a second ''veiller'', “to spend the evening in company”, a numbered entry of its own, derived from [[veille]] (1690); it has aged faster than [[veillée]].^(Grand Robert 2005)^(DHLF 1992)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}