Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Capitol” come from?

Capitol derives from Middle English capitolie, from Old French capitole, from Latin capitolium, originally denoting the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill in Rome.

Ancestry of “Capitol”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcapitolie—
2Anglo-Normancapitolie—
3Middle Frenchcapitoile—
4LatinCapitōlium—
5Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
6Proto-Italickaputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “Capitol”

  • Capitolian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →