Etymology Explorer › Haitian Creole

Where does “kapab” come from?

kapab (Haitian Creole) comes from French capable, from Middle French capable, from Latin capabilis, from Latin capiō, from Proto-Italic kapiō, from Proto-Italic kapjō, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂pyéti, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- — to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

kapab (Haitian Creole): can, to be able to

Definitions

  1. can, to be able to

Ancestry of “kapab”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcapableable, capable
2Middle Frenchcapable—
3Latincapabiliscomprehensible; intelligent; capable
4Latincapiō—
5Proto-Italickapiōtake
6Proto-Italickapjōtake, seize
7Proto-Indo-Europeankh₂pyéti—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p- →