Where does “capstan” come from?
Capstan comes from Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, ultimately from Old Occitan cabestre.
capstan (English): A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a...
Definitions
- A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a...
Ancestry of “capstan”, step by step
capstan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French cabestan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | cabestan | — |
| 2 | Old Occitan | cabestan | — |
| 3 | Old Occitan | cabestre | pulley rope; pulley cord |
| 4 | Latin | capistrum | halter, headstall, harness |
| 5 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |
via Spanish cabestran
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | cabestran |