"Old English" is an arbitrary chop of history; it's a modern frame nailed over one spot in the chaotic past in order for us moderns to be able to stand back and think about that past.
So many wonderful turns of phrase in this article! And here I thought “velvet” was derived from a certain processed cheese product.
In the anatomy of the small intestine, the inner luminal surface consists of cells that have finger-like projections, Villi (sing. villus) that greatly increase the surface area available for the enzymatic digestion of the food masses that have emerged from the stomach.
While the Latin noun, villus referred to shaggy hair, hair, fur, or fleece, the texture of the carpet of villi is smooth and soft like very fine hair - it is velvety.