Where does “chief” come from?

chief (Middle French) comes from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

chief (Middle French): head

Definitions

  1. head

Ancestry of “chief”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchchiefhead; leader, chief; front
2Vulgar Latincapumhead, chief; head
3Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
4Proto-Italickaputhead
5Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
6Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “chief”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →