Vigil

Not to be confused with Virgil.
This article is about a period of intentional sleeplessness. For all other usages, see Vigil (disambiguation).
Vigil, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (14th century)
A Knight's Vigil by John Pettie

A vigil, from the Latin vigilia meaning 'wakefulness' (Greek: pannychis,[1] παννυχίς or agrypnia[2] ἀγρυπνία),[3] is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance. The Italian word vigilia has become generalized in this sense and means 'eve' (as in "on the eve of the war").

  1. ^ παννυχίς. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  2. ^ ἀγρυπνία. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
  3. ^ Cross, F. L. Cross; Livingstone, E. A., eds. (2005). The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford University Press. Available (limitedly) online at the Oxford Reference.