Where does “capitán” come from?
capitán (Spanish) comes from Latin capitāneus, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput, from Proto-Indo-European kap- — to seize, hold.
capitán (Spanish): captain
Definitions
- captain
Ancestry of “capitán”, step by step
capitán traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin capitāneus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | capitāneus | large, chief in size |
| 2 | Latin | caput | head; headlike protuberance on an organ or body... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | kaput | head |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | káput | head |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kap- | to seize, hold |
via Late Latin capitaneus
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | capitaneus | captain |