The only free and comprehensive online etymological dictionary of the Spanish language

Word of the Day

velar (1) (Verb) "to keep watch at night;" "to hold a vigil;" "to watch over"
12th cent. From Latin vigilare "to watch over," "to remain awake," from vigil "awake," "alert." See vigilia for a continued etymology.
Indo-European
Romance
Portuguese velar, Galician velar, Catalan vetllar, French veiller, Italian vegilare, Aromanian aveglju, Romanian veghea
Corominas, J. & J. Pascual. Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e híspanico. 6 vols. Madrid: Gredos. 1991-1997.
Real Academia Española. Diccionario de la lengua española. Online. 23rd ed. Madrid: Espasa Calpa. 2014. http://www.rae.es/.
Sihler, A. New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin. Oxford University Press. 2008.

12 August 2019 - Update 3.92

Final updates in preparation for a particularly large data update coming at the end of the month.

Welcome

The Online Etymological Dictionary of Spanish is a free etymological dictionary of the Spanish language launched on August 6, 2016. An etymology is not a definition but a history of a word over time. This site provides an account of the development of the Spanish language as best as historical linguists are able to ascertain in a way that is accessible both by laymen and academics. If you enjoy using this dictionary, please consider donating to help keep this site alive.