Where does “kapitān” come from?

kapitān (Middle High German) 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.

Ancestry of “kapitān”, 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 “kapitān”

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