LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension one-termination adjective

vigil1

vigil (genitive vigilis)
Classical[ˈwɪ.ɡɪɫ]Ecclesiastical[ˈviː.d͡ʒil]

Meaning

  1. one terminationawake, watching, alert

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

nōn dormiēns
vigil -is — in Epistulae, ch. 10

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Vigil · Insomnis · Exsomnis

Vigil denotes the state of being awake as positive, and involves consciousness and will, and the application of vital energy, like ἄγρυπνος; whereas insomnis and exsomnis, only negatively, as sleepless, ἄϋπνος; but the insomnis cannot sleep; the exsomnis will not sleep. Tac. Ann. i. 65. Cum oberrarent tentoriis insomnes magis quam pervigiles. Vell. P. ii. 88. Mæcenas ubi rem vigiliam exigeret, sane exsomnis. Hor. Od. iii. 7, 6. Frigidas noctes non sine multis insomnis lacrimis agit; comp. with 25, 7. Non secus in jugis exsomnis stupet Evias; or Virg. Æn. ix. 167, with vi. 556. (iv. 444.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativevigilvigilvigil
genitivevigilisvigilisvigilis
dativevigilīvigilīvigilī
accusativevigilemvigilemvigil
ablativevigilī
vigile		vigilī
vigile		vigilī
vigile
vocativevigilvigilvigil
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativevigilēsvigilēsvigilia
genitivevigiliumvigiliumvigilium
dativevigilibusvigilibusvigilibus
accusativevigilīs
vigilēs		vigilīs
vigilēs		vigilia
ablativevigilibusvigilibusvigilibus
vocativevigilēsvigilēsvigilia

vĭgil, ĭlis (
I. gen. plur. vigilium, Liv. 10, 33, 6), adj. vigeo, awake, on the watch, alert (class.; cf.: insomnis, exsomnis).
I. Lit.
A. Adj.: prius orto Sole vigil calamum et chartas et scrinia posco, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 113; 1, 2, 37: vigilum canum excubiae, id. C. 3, 16, 2: ales, i. e. the cock, Ov. M. 11, 597: Aurora, id. ib. 2, 112: custodia, id. ib. 12, 148 et saep.—Transf., of things, wakeful, watchful, etc.: oculi, Verg. A. 4, 182: ignis, i. e. always burning, id. ib. 4, 200: lucernae, night-lamps, Hor. C. 3, 8, 14: auri vigili bibere, wakeful, listening, Stat. Achill. 2, 119: nox, Tac. A. 4, 48.—
B. Subst.: vĭgil, ĭlis, m., a watchman, sentinel: clamor a vigilibus fanique custodibus tollitur, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94; Liv. 44, 33, 8; Ov. M. 13, 370: nocturni, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 195.— Of such vigiles there were in Rome, from the time of Augustus, seven divisions, with their prefects and sub-prefects, constituting a regularly organized night-police, Suet. Aug. 30; Dig. 1, 15, 3; 47, 2, 56.—Transf., a sentinel: mundi (sol et luna), Lucr. 5, 1436 (1434).—Of cocks: nocturni, Plin. 10, 21, 24, § 46.—
II. Trop.: cura, wakeful, active, Ov. M. 3, 396; 15, 65: questus, uttered by night, Stat. S. 1, 2, 196.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der. Proto-Indo-European *weǵlis Proto-Italic *weglis Latin vigil Derived from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”), whence vigeō.

noun · masculinethird declension
vigil2
vigil m (genitive vigilis)
Classical[ˈwɪ.ɡɪɫ]Ecclesiastical[ˈviː.d͡ʒil]

Meaning

  1. masculinewatchman, guard, sentinel; constable, fireman; angel
  2. in pluralmasculinethe watch, police, constabulary

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevigilvigilēs
genitivevigilisvigilum
dativevigilīvigilibus
accusativevigilemvigilēs
ablativevigilevigilibus
vocativevigilvigilēs

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *weǵ-der. Proto-Indo-European *weǵlis Proto-Italic *weglis Latin vigil Derived from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”), whence vigeō.

Descendants
  • Frenchvigile
  • Italianvigile
  • Portuguesevígil
  • Romanianvigil
  • Romanianveghe
  • Irishfeighil
  • Piedmontesevìgil

Quick answers

What does vigil mean in Latin?
vigil, a adjective, means “awake, watching, alert”.
How do you pronounce vigil?
In classical Latin, [ˈwɪ.ɡɪɫ]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈviː.d͡ʒil].