Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “princely” come from?

Princely comes from Middle English -ly attached to prince, which derives from Latin princeps, meaning "first" or "chief," ultimately from Latin capio, meaning "to take."

princely (English): Relating to a prince; regal; royal; Befitting a...

Definitions

  1. Relating to a prince; regal; royal; Befitting a...

Ancestry of “princely”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPrince—
2Latinprīnceps—
3Latinprimoceps—
4Latincapiō—
5Proto-Italickapiōtake
6Proto-Italickapjōtake, seize
7Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyéti—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

Words derived from “princely”

  • princeliness
  • unprincely
  • unprinceliness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →