Where does “kapitano” come from?

kapitano (Esperanto) comes from Russian капита́н, from French capitaine, from Middle French capitaine, from Old French capitaine, from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.

kapitano (Esperanto): captain

Definitions

  1. captain

Ancestry of “kapitano”, step by step

kapitano traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Russian капита́н

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Russianкапита́нcaptain, commander, master, skipper, team leader
2Frenchcapitainecaptain, leader
3Middle Frenchcapitainecaptain
4Old Frenchcapitaineleader
5Latincapitāneuslarge, chief in size
6Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
7Proto-Italickaputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
9Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

via English Captain

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCaptainAn army officer title in most countries; The...
2Middle EnglishcapitainThe head of a military grouping or force; a...

via German kapitän

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germankapitäncaptain
2Middle High Germankapitān
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap-