Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sous-chef” come from?

sous-chef (English) comes from French sous-chef, from French chef, from Middle French chief, from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.

sous-chef (English): The chef underneath the head chef in the chef's...

Definitions

  1. The chef underneath the head chef in the chef's...

Ancestry of “sous-chef”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchsous-chefsecond-in-command; right-hand-man
2Frenchchefhead; article, principal point; principal motive,...
3Middle Frenchchiefhead
4Old Frenchchiefhead; leader, chief; front
5Vulgar Latincapumhead, chief; head
6Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
7Proto-Italickaputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
9Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →