Where does “capful” come from?

capful (English) comes from English Cap, from English Capricorn, from French Capricorne, from Latin Capricornus, from Latin caper, from Proto-Italic *kapros, from Proto-Indo-European kápros — he-goat, billy goat.

capful (English): The amount that will fit into a cap; A light puff...

Definitions

  1. The amount that will fit into a cap; A light puff...

Ancestry of “capful”, step by step

capful traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Cap

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCapA nickname for the captain of a team, ship, etc
2EnglishCapricornSomeone with a Capricorn star sign
3FrenchCapricorneCapricorn
4LatinCapricornusCapricornus, the constellation of the zodiac
5Latincapera male goat, billy goat; vocative singular of...
6Proto-Italic*kaproshe-goat
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáproshe-goat, billy goat

via English ful

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishful
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kápros