Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Cape Verdean” come from?

Cape Verdean (English) comes from English Cape Verde, from Portuguese Cabo Verde, from Portuguese Cabo, from Old Portuguese cabo, from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.

Cape Verdean (English): Of, from, or pertaining to Cape Verde, the Cape...

Definitions

  1. Of, from, or pertaining to Cape Verde, the Cape...

Ancestry of “Cape Verdean”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCape Verde—
2PortugueseCabo VerdeGreen Cape
3PortugueseCabo—
4Old Portuguesecabobesides; nearby
5Vulgar Latincapus—
6Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
7Proto-Italickaputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
9Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →