Where does “corporal” come from?
corporal (Middle French) comes from Italian caporale, 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.
Ancestry of “corporal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | caporale | corporal, lance corporal; bossy person; illegal... |
| 2 | Italian | capo | head; boss, chief, leader, master; end |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | capus | — |
| 4 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |