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vi·gi·a

(vĭ-jēə, -hē-)

A warning on a navigational chart indicating a possible rock, shoal, or other hazard, the exact position of which is unknown.

[Spanish vigía, from Portuguese vigia, from vigiar, to look out, from Latin vigilāre; see VIGILANTE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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