Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “capitain” come from?

capitain (Middle English) comes from Old French capitaine, from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

capitain (Middle English): The head of a military grouping or force; a...

Definitions

  1. The head of a military grouping or force; a...

Ancestry of “capitain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchcapitaineleader
2Latincapitāneus—
3Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
4Proto-Italickaputhead
5Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “capitain”

  • captain
  • captaincy
  • capt
  • captainship
  • cocaptain
  • captainless
  • cloudcapt
  • captainly
  • captainess
  • snowcapt
  • copatain
  • captainlike
  • bus captain
  • vice-captain
  • Cap
  • 喼頓
  • キャプテン
  • capitainship
  • कप्तान
  • kapteni
  • aachaptanys
  • aachaptan
  • fo-aachaptan
  • captanys
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →