Etymology: Partly (i) < Anglo-Norman vail, veille, Anglo-Norman and Old French (northern) veil (masculine, in Anglo-Norman also feminine), variants of Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French voille, Old French vol, Old French, Middle French voil, voile (French voile , masculine) garment worn to screen the body, especially the head or face (12th cent. with reference to a woman's garment, especially such a garment worn as part of the headdress of a nun), curtain (end of the 12th cent.; beginning of the 13th cent. with specific reference to the curtain in the Jewish Temple), (in extended use) something which conceals, covers, or hides in the manner of a veil (c1200), cloth used to cover the chalice at Mass (late 14th cent.), in Anglo-Norman also caul, (in anatomy) lining (both 13th cent. or earlier; < classical Latin vēlum : see below); partly (ii) < Anglo-Norman veil, veyl, vail (masculine) sail (early 12th cent.; compare Old French (northern) veile , veille , Old French, Middle French voille , Middle French, French voile (feminine) sail (second half of the 12th cent.; < classical Latin vēla , neuter plural of vēlum (see below), reinterpreted as feminine singular)); and partly (iii) < classical Latin vēlum sail, awning, curtain, woven cloth, in post-classical Latin also the veil of the Temple in Jerusalem (Vulgate), nun's veil (8th cent.; frequently from 10th cent. in British sources), garment worn to screen the body, especially the head or face (frequently from 12th cent. in British sources), Lenten veil (from 12th cent. in British sources), of unknown origin; perhaps < the same Indo-European base as Early Irish figid weaves, plaits (compare etymological notes at wax n.¹ and wick n.¹). Compare later vele n.Further etymology of the Latin noun. It is not certain that all of the senses of the Latin word in fact show the same origin, and it is possible that the meaning ‘sail’ reflects a homonym of distinct origin from the meanings in relation to cloth, curtains, and veils. That they were perceived as distinct words is perhaps suggested by their reflexes in the Romance languages. Compare: (masculine, in senses ‘veil’, ‘curtain’, etc.) Old Occitan vel , Catalan vel (14th cent.), Spanish velo (10th cent. as uello ; also in sense ‘sail’), Portuguese véu (13th cent. as veo ), Italian velo (end of the 13th cent.); (feminine, in sense ‘sail’) Old Occitan vela , Catalan vela (14th cent.), Spanish vela (13th cent.), Portuguese vela (13th cent. as vea ), Italian vela (beginning of the 14th cent.). Specific senses. In sense 8c after veiled adj. 4b.

Etymology: Apparently < Anglo-Norman veil, Anglo-Norman and Middle French veille (French veille ) act of staying awake at night, (specifically) prayer vigil (first half of the 12th cent. in Old French), act of keeping watch, surveillance (1342; < classical Latin vigilia waking, watching: see vigil n.¹). The sense ‘watchman’ is not attested in French until later (a1537; rare), although compare Old Occitan veylla (c1280), in same sense.

Etymology: < veil n.¹, in early use after Anglo-Norman veleier, Anglo-Norman and Middle French veler, Middle French voiler, voiller (compare Old French veler, voiler, voiller; French voiler) to bestow the veil of a nun upon (a woman) (1155 in Old French), to cover or envelop (something) (late 13th cent.), to mask or conceal (immaterial things) (late 14th cent.) and its etymon classical Latin vēlāre to cover, clothe, to cover (especially the head) for ritual or ceremonial purposes, to cover over, to conceal by covering, to veil or conceal (immaterial things), in post-classical Latin also to receive (a woman) as a nun (4th or 5th cent.).Compare Old Occitan velar , Spanish velar (a1207), Portuguese velar (13th cent. as uelado , past participle), Italian velare (a1313). With sense 1a(b) compare similar use of French voiler , reflexive (1555 in Middle French; 1721 with reference to the dress of some Muslim women). In Middle English prefixed and unprefixed past participle forms are attested (see y- prefix).