1560s, from French vigilance (16c.), from Latin vigilantia "wakefulness, watchfulness, attention," from vigil "watchful, awake" (from PIE root *weg- "to be strong, be lively"). Related: Vigilancy (1530s).
Entries linking to vigilance
*weg-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to be strong, be lively."
It forms all or part of: awake; bewitch; bivouac; invigilate; reveille; surveillance; vedette; vegetable; velocity; vigil; vigilant; vigilante; vigor; waft; wait; wake (v.) "emerge or arise from sleep;" waken; watch; Wicca; wicked; witch.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit vajah "force, strength," vajayati "drives on;" Latin vigil "watchful, awake," vigere "be lively, thrive," velox "fast, lively," vegere "to enliven," vigor "liveliness, activity;" Old English wacan "to become awake," German wachen "to be awake," Gothic wakan "to watch."
hypervigilance n.
1917, from French (1907); see hyper- "over, exceedingly, to excess" + vigilance. Related: Hypervigilant.