Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vel” come from?

Vel is an English word of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Latin vel, though the etymological chain through Latin well, wels, and welsi remains obscure.

vel (English): The ∨ symbol used to represent the inclusive or,...

Definitions

  1. The ∨ symbol used to represent the inclusive or,...

Ancestry of “vel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinvelor; and/or; even
2Latinwell—
3Latinwels—
4Latinwelsiyou wish
Every word from Latin welsi →