English
vigil
Vigil comes from Latin vigilia ‘wakefulness, watch’, from vigil ‘awake’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵ-‘to be strong, lively, awake’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵlisreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*weglisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvigil‘awake’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvigilia‘wakefulness, watch’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vigile
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a devotional watching’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834vigil
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵ-‘to be strong, lively, awake’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*weǵlisreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*weglisreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvigil‘awake’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEvigilia‘wakefulness, watch’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400vigile
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a devotional watching’
- Englishearliest quotation 1834vigil
Earliest quotation: 1834, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, London: Richard Bentley: “I saw her head drooped upon her hand; her…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- ‘to be strong, lively, awake’
wait, awake, vegetation, vigorous, vigour, waken, waker, vajra, invigorate, 10 more
through Latin vigil ‘awake’
Today it means
noun An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- / vigil