Where does “decapitate” come from?

decapitate (English) comes from French décapiter, from Latin decapitare, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

decapitate (English): To remove the head of; To oust or destroy the...

Definitions

  1. To remove the head of; To oust or destroy the...

Ancestry of “decapitate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdécapiterto decapitate, to behead; to cut the top off
2Latindecapitareto decapitate or behead
3Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
4Proto-Italickaputhead
5Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “decapitate”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European káput →Every word from Proto-Italic kaput →
decapitate — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer