From Old French 'velin,' from Latin 'vitellus' (little calf) — the finest writing surface came from calfskin.
Fine parchment made from the skin of a calf, used for writing, bookbinding, and painting; by extension, any high-quality parchment or a smooth cream-colored writing paper.
From Anglo-Norman 'velim' and Old French 'vélin,' derived from 'veel' (calf), from Latin 'vitellus' (little calf), a diminutive of 'vitulus' (calf, yearling). Latin 'vitulus' derives from Proto-Indo-European *wet-elo- (yearling, one-year-old animal), from the root *wet- (year). The word thus literally means 'made from a little calf' — reflecting the fact that the finest writing