Where does “quebra-cabeça” come from?

quebra-cabeça (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese cabeça, from Old Portuguese cabeça, from Vulgar Latin capitia, from Latin capitium, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.

quebra-cabeça (Portuguese): brain-teaser

Definitions

  1. brain-teaser

Ancestry of “quebra-cabeça”, step by step

quebra-cabeça traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Portuguese cabeça

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesecabeçahead
2Old Portuguesecabeça
3Vulgar Latincapitia
4Latincapitiumcovering for the head; opening in a tunic for the...
5Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
6Proto-Italickaputhead
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

via Portuguese quebrar

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesequebrarto break; to fracture a bone; to break down
2Old Portuguesequebrar
3Latincrepōto rattle, rustle, clatter
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱorh₂-
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap-Every word from Proto-Indo-European káputEvery word from Proto-Italic kaput
quebra-cabeça — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer