An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Veilchen

by Friedrich Kluge

Veilchen, n., ‘violet’ (plant), dimin. of earlier ModHG. Veil, from MidHG. vîel, older viôl, n., vîole, f. Borrowed in the early MidHG. period from Lat. viola (with v equal to f, as in Vers, Käfig, Brief, and Vogt). Comp. Ital. viola, dimin. violetta, Fr. violette; also to Du. viool, E. violet.