Where does “capital” come from?

capital (Middle English) comes from Latin capitālis, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

Ancestry of “capital”, step by step

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

Words derived from “capital”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European káput →Every word from Proto-Italic kaput →
capital — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer