1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Veteran

VETERAN, old, tried, experienced, particularly used of a soldier who has seen much service. The Latin veteranus (velus, old), as applied to a soldier, had, beside its general application in opposition to tiro, recruit, a specific technical meaning in the Roman army. Under the republic the full term of service with the legion was twenty years; those who served this period and gained their discharge (missio) were termed emeriti. If they chose to remain in service with the legion, they were then called veterani. Sometimes a special invitation was issued to the emeriti to rejoin; they were then styled evocati.

The base of Lat. vetus meant a year, as seen in the Gr. ἔτος (for Fετος) and Sanskrit vatsa; from the same base comes vitulus, a calf, properly a yearling, vitellus, a young calf, whence O. Fr. veel, modern, veau, English “veal,” the flesh of the calf. The Teutonic cognate of vitulus is probably seen in Goth, withrus, lamb, English “wether,” a castrated ram.