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
2Latincapitāneuslarge, chief in size
3Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
4Proto-Italickaputhead
5Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “capitain”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European káput →Every word from Proto-Italic kaput →