Where does “capacity” come from?
Capacity comes from Middle English capacite, from Old French capacite, from Latin capacitas, derived from the Latin adjective capax meaning "able to hold," ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root keh₂p- meaning "to seize or grasp."
capacity (English): The ability to hold, receive or absorb; A measure...
Definitions
- The ability to hold, receive or absorb; A measure...
Ancestry of “capacity”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | capacite | Ability, competence, capableness; the degree to... |
| 2 | Old French | capacite | — |
| 3 | Latin | capācitās | capability; capacity |
| 4 | Latin | capāx | That can contain or hold much; wide, large, spacious, capacious, roomy |
| 5 | Latin | -āx | ish, -y |
| 6 | Latin | -ium | Suffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes... |
| 7 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |