Etymology Explorer › Italian

Where does “capitano” come from?

capitano (Italian) comes from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

capitano (Italian): captain; first-person plural present of...

Definitions

  1. captain; first-person plural present of...

Ancestry of “capitano”, step by step

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

Words derived from “capitano”

  • capitaneria
  • cãpitan
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →