Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “corporal” come from?

Corporal comes from French caporal, from Italian caporale, from Latin capitālis (relating to the head), derived from Latin caput (head).

corporal (English): Having a physical, tangible body; material,...

Definitions

  1. Having a physical, tangible body; material,...

Ancestry of “corporal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcaporalcorporal; caporal
2Italiancaporalecorporal, lance corporal; bossy person; illegal...
3Italiancapohead; boss, chief, leader, master; end
4Vulgar Latincapus—
5Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
6Proto-Italickaputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “corporal”

  • corporally
  • extracorporal
  • corporalship
  • intracorporal
  • noncorporal
  • corporas
  • bicorporal
  • tricorporal
  • corporalness
  • corpotha
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →