vedette etymology

Etymology:

  • French, from Italian vedetta, from Vulgar Latin vigilata, feminine past participle of vigilare, "to keep watch"

Meaning:

  • 1. A person or ship stationed to keep a watch and signal the approach of an enemy or danger.
  • 2. A leading performer in a show or film, especially one who is well-known or admired.
  • 3. A striking or conspicuous object or feature.

Origin:

The word "vedette" originated in the military context, where it was used to describe a sentry or guard who kept watch over an area to detect and report approaching enemies. The word is derived from the Vulgar Latin term vigilata, which means "watched over" and is related to the verb vigilare, "to keep watch."

Over time, the meaning of "vedette" expanded beyond the military realm. In the 19th century, it began to be used in the performing arts to refer to a leading performer or star. This usage is thought to have arisen from the idea that a vedette was someone who stood out or was conspicuous, similar to the way a performer stands out in a show or film.

By the 20th century, "vedette" had also come to be used to describe any striking or conspicuous object or feature. This usage is less common today.

vedette relate terms

  • vidette

    Etymology The word vidette originates from the Old French vedette which in turn com

  • vedette

    Etymology French from Italian vedetta from Vulgar Latin vigilata feminine past parti

  • awake

    Etymology Old English awacian from Proto Germanic awakōną from Proto Indo European

  • bewitch

    Etymology Old English bewiccian Proto Germanic bawihijaną Meaning and Origin

  • bivouac

    Etymology French bivouac German biwak camp place of encampment Swiss German bivak

  • invigilate

    Etymology From Latin invigilare meaning to watch over stay awake in prefix mean

  • reveille

    Etymology French réveiller to awaken Latin re again vigilare to watch

  • surveillance

    Etymology Old French surveiller Latin super above over vigilare to watch ke

  • vedette

    Etymology French from Italian vedetta from Vulgar Latin vigilata feminine past parti

  • vegetable

    Etymology The word vegetable derives from the Old French word vegetable which in tur

  • velocity

    Etymology From Middle French vélocité from Latin vēlōcitās from vēlōx swift

  • vigil

    Etymology of Vigil The word vigil comes from the Latin word vigilia which means wat

  • vigilant

    Etymology The word vigilant originates from the Latin word vigilare meaning to be

  • vigilante

    Etymology The word vigilante comes from the Italian word vigilante meaning watchful

  • vigor

    Etymology Old French vigueur Latin vigor Proto Indo European weg to move strongl

  • waft

    Etymology Middle English wayfen wafen from Old English wafian to wave move to and fr

  • wait

    Etymology Old English wæht Proto Germanic wahti Proto Indo European weh t woh t

  • wake

    Etymology The word wake has Old English roots wæcce noun a nocturnal vigil

  • waken

    Etymology The word waken is derived from the Old English word wacian which means t

  • watch

    Etymology Old English wacian from Proto Germanic wakōjan meaning to be awake

  • Wicca

    Etymology The word Wicca is derived from the Old English word wicca meaning witch

  • wicked

    Etymology The word wicked is derived from the Old English word wicca which originall

  • witch

    Etymology The word witch comes from the Old English word wicce which meant female s

  • advice

    Etymology The word advice comes from the Old French word avis which in turn comes fr

  • advise

    Etymology From Latin ad to towards visus seen sight Meaning To inform

  • belvedere

    Etymology Belvedere derives from the Italian belvedere meaning beautiful view M

  • clairvoyant

    Etymology clair French clear voyant French seeing Meaning Clairvoyant r

  • Druid

    Etymology The word druid derives from the Proto Celtic word druwid which is of uncer

  • eidetic

    Etymology The word eidetic is derived from the Greek word eido meaning to see M

  • eidolon

    Etymology The word eidolon comes from the Ancient Greek word εἴδωλον eídōl

  • envy

    Etymology The word envy comes from the Old French word envier which means to

  • evident

    Etymology Evident comes from the Latin word evidens which means clear obvious or

  • guide

    Etymology The word guide originates from the Old French word guier which itself come

  • guidon

    Etymology The word guidon has French roots It originates from the Old French word gui

  • guise

    Etymology The word guise is derived from the Old French word guise which in turn is

  • Gwendolyn

    Etymology The name Gwendolyn is derived from the Welsh word gwen meaning fair or wh

  • Hades

    Etymology The name Hades derives from the Greek word Haides which originally meant th

  • history

    Etymology Greek ἱστορία historia inquiry knowledge acquired by investigati

  • idea

    Etymology The word idea is derived from the Greek word idein ἰδεῖν meaning

  • ideo

    Etymology The word ideo is derived from the Latin phrase idem de idem which means t

  • idol

    Etymology The word idol originates from the Greek word eidōlon meaning image or

  • idyll

    Etymology The word idyll derives from the Greek word εἰδύλλιον eidyllion

  • improvisation

    Etymology The word improvisation is derived from the Latin word improvisus which me

  • improvise

    Etymology The word improvise originates from the Latin improvisus meaning unforese

  • interview

    Etymology Interviu is derived from the French word entrevue which literally means

  • invidious

    Etymology The word invidious comes from the Latin word invidia meaning envy grudge

  • kaleidoscope

    Etymology Prefix Kalo Greek beautiful Stem Eidos Greek form shape Suffix sc

  • penguin

    Etymology The word penguin is derived from the Welsh word pen gwyn which means whi

  • polyhistor

    Etymology Polyhistor is derived from the Greek words poly meaning many and histo

  • prevision

    Etymology Latin praevīdere to foresee Roots prae before videre to see

  • provide

    Etymology The word etymology comes from the Greek words etymon meaning true sense

  • providence

    Etymology The word providence comes from the Latin word providentia which means fo

  • prudent

    Etymology Latin prudens present participle of providere look ahead foresee from pr

  • purvey

    Etymology Middle English purveien from Anglo Norman French purveier from Late Latin

  • purview

    Etymology Latin pro videre meaning to foresee or to provide for Meaning and O

  • review

    Etymology The word review derives from the Old French word reveue which in turn come

  • revise

    Etymology refers to the origin and historical development of a word or morpheme It involv

  • story

    Etymology The word story comes from the Middle English word storie which in turn com

  • supervise

    Etymology Latin supervidere meaning to oversee supervise Derived from super o

  • survey

    Etymology French survoir to look over oversee Meaning A method of gathering

  • unwitting

    Etymology The word unwitting is derived from the Old English words un negation and

  • Veda

    Etymology The word Veda comes from the Sanskrit root vid meaning to know or to s

  • vide

    Etymology Latin vidēre to see Proto Indo European weid to see Meaning

  • view

    Etymology The word etymology is derived from the Greek words etymon true meaning an

  • visa

    Etymology Visa derives from the Latin phrase visa pro exibit meaning seen for depart

  • visage

    Etymology The word visage comes from the Old French word vis which in turn comes fr

  • vision

    Etymology Vision is derived from the Latin word visio which means sight or seeing

  • visit

    Etymology Latin visitare from visere meaning to go to see Ultimately derived fr

  • visor

    Etymology The word visor comes from the Old French word visiere which in turn deriv

  • vista

    Etymology The word vista is derived from the Italian word vista which means view

  • wise

    Etymology Old English wis noun and wisian verb Germanic root wit meaning to

  • wise

    Etymology Old English wis noun and wisian verb Germanic root wit meaning to

  • wisdom

    Etymology From Middle English wisdom from Old English wīsdōm from Proto West German

  • wiseacre

    Etymology Wise Middle English acre Latin ager Meaning A person who pret

  • witenagemot

    Etymology The term witenagemot is derived from the Old English words witan meaning

  • witting

    Etymology The word witting comes from the Old English word witan which means to kno

  • vigil

    Etymology of Vigil The word vigil comes from the Latin word vigilia which means wat

  • realm

    Etymology The word realm has its roots in several languages Old French Realme mea

  • juxtaposition

    Etymology Origin of the Word Juxtaposition is derived from the Latin phrase iuxta

  • typhoon

    Etymology The word typhoon originates from the Greek word typhōn which refers to t

  • Knickerbocker

    Etymology The term knickerbocker is derived from the Dutch surname Van der Boogart

  • absolute

    Etymology Absolute comes from the Latin word absolutus which means freed from loose

  • season

    Etymology The word season derives from the Middle English word sesun which itself co

  • stress

    Etymology of stress The word stress comes from the Latin word stringere meaning

  • skill

    Etymology The word skill derives from the Old Norse word skil meaning discernment