Where does “unchiefly” come from?
unchiefly (English) comes from English chiefly, from English chief, from Middle English chef, from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.
unchiefly (English): Not chiefly; not befitting a chief
Definitions
- Not chiefly; not befitting a chief
Ancestry of “unchiefly”, step by step
unchiefly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English chiefly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | chiefly | Especially or primarily; above all; Mainly or... |
| 2 | English | chief | A leader or head of a group of people,... |
| 3 | Middle English | chef | A leader, boss, or director; a chief official;... |
| 4 | Old French | chief | head; leader, chief; front |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | capum | head, chief; head |
| 6 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |
via English un
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | un | One |