Where does “captaincy” come from?
Captaincy derives from English captain, from Old French capitaine, from Latin capitaneus (one who leads), ultimately from Latin caput meaning head, with Proto-Indo-European kauput- as the root.
captaincy (English): The rank or status of a captain; The jurisdiction...
Definitions
- The rank or status of a captain; The jurisdiction...
Ancestry of “captaincy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Captain | An army officer title in most countries; The... |
| 2 | Middle English | capitain | The head of a military grouping or force; a... |
| 3 | Old French | capitaine | leader |
| 4 | Latin | capitāneus | large, chief in size |
| 5 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |