Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “décapiter” come from?

décapiter (French) comes from Latin decapitare, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

décapiter (French): to decapitate, to behead; to cut the top off

Definitions

  1. to decapitate, to behead; to cut the top off

Ancestry of “décapiter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latindecapitare—
2Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
3Proto-Italickaputhead
4Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
5Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “décapiter”

  • decapitate
  • decapitator
  • décapiteur
  • decapita
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →