envelop

Meaning

Verb

• To surround or enclose.

Origin

• From Middle English envolupen, from Old French anveloper, envoluper (modern French envelopper), from en- + voloper, vloper (compare Italian viluppare; Old Italian alternate form goluppare) from Vulgar Latin *vuloppare ("to wrap"), from Proto-Germanic *wlappaną, *wrappaną, from Proto-Indo-European *werb- ("to turn, bend") . Akin to Middle English wlappen ("to wrap, fold") (Modern English lap), Middle English wrappen, Middle Dutch lappen ("to wrap up, embrace"), Danish dialectal vravle, Middle Low German wrempen ("to wrinkle, distort"), Old English wearp. Doublet of enwrap.