Where does “capogioco” come from?

capogioco (Italian) comes 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.

capogioco (Italian): game master

Definitions

  1. game master

Ancestry of “capogioco”, step by step

capogioco traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian capo

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

via Italian gioco

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiangiocogame; backlash; first-person singular present...
2Latiniocusa joke, jest; a form of amusement; pastime, sport
3Proto-Italicjokosword, saying
4Proto-Indo-Europeanyokosword, utterance
5Proto-Indo-Europeanyek-to utter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European káput →Every word from Proto-Italic kaput →