Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “caporal” come from?

caporal (French) comes from Italian caporale, from Italian capo, from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

caporal (French): corporal; caporal

Definitions

  1. corporal; caporal

Ancestry of “caporal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiancaporalecorporal, lance corporal; bossy person; illegal...
2Italiancapohead; boss, chief, leader, master; end
3Vulgar Latincapus—
4Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
5Proto-Italickaputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “caporal”

  • caporal
  • korporal
  • korporal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →