Where does “kapitan” come from?
kapitan (Crimean Tatar) comes from Russian капита́н, from French capitaine, from Middle French capitaine, from Old French capitaine, from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.
kapitan (Crimean Tatar): captain
Definitions
- captain
Ancestry of “kapitan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | капита́н | captain, commander, master, skipper, team leader |
| 2 | French | capitaine | captain, leader |
| 3 | Middle French | capitaine | captain |
| 4 | Old French | capitaine | leader |
| 5 | Latin | capitāneus | large, chief in size |
| 6 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |