Etymology Explorer › Spanish

Where does “jefe” come from?

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

jefe (Spanish): chief; president; head; leader of a business,...

Definitions

  1. chief; president; head; leader of a business,...

Ancestry of “jefe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Spanishxefe—
2Frenchchefhead; article, principal point; principal motive,...
3Middle Frenchchiefhead
4Old Frenchchiefhead; leader, chief; front
5Vulgar Latincapumhead, chief; head
6Latincaputhead; headlike protuberance on an organ or body...
7Proto-Italickaputhead
8Proto-Indo-Europeankáputhead
9Proto-Indo-Europeankap-to seize, hold

Words derived from “jefe”

  • jefe
  • jefe político
  • vicejefe
  • jefe político
  • hepe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap- →