Where does “capitaine” come from?

capitaine (English) comes from French capitaine, from Middle French capitaine, from Old French capitaine, from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

capitaine (English): A captain

Definitions

  1. A captain

Ancestry of “capitaine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcapitainecaptain, leader
2Middle Frenchcapitainecaptain
3Old Frenchcapitaineleader
4Latincapitāneuslarge, chief in size
5Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
6Proto-Italickaputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European káput →Every word from Proto-Italic kaput →