Where does “cachalot” come from?
cachalot (English) comes from French cachalot, from Portuguese cachalote, from Portuguese cachola, from Portuguese cacho, from Latin capulum, from Latin capiō, from Proto-Italic kapiō, from Proto-Italic kapjō — to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...
cachalot (English): The sperm whale
Ancestry of “cachalot”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | cachalot | sperm whale |
| 2 | Portuguese | cachalote | cachalot, sperm whale |
| 3 | Portuguese | cachola | head; mind |
| 4 | Portuguese | cacho | hand; lock; raceme |
| 5 | Latin | capulum | handle; hilt; halter, lasso |
| 6 | Latin | capiō | — |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |