Vela
Appearance
See also: Appendix:Variations of "vela"
English
Etymology
Named by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1763. From Latin vēla (“sails of a ship”), plural of vēlum. Doublet of veil.
Proper noun
Vela
- (astronomy) A spring constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble the sails of a ship. Until 1763, it was part of a larger constellation, Argo Navis.
Derived terms
Translations
constellation
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See also
Anagrams
Spanish
Etymology
Possibly from the pre-Roman name Vela, a borrowing from Basque bela vela (“raven”), or more likely from the noun vela (“sail”). Also from placenames in Spain that derive from the other sense of vela (“guard, vigil”).
Proper noun
Vela ?
- Vela (constellation)
- a surname