Where does “principal” come from?
principal (Spanish) comes from Old Spanish [[prinçipal]], [[principal]], from Latin principālis, from Latin prīncipium, from Latin prīnceps, from Latin primoceps, from Latin capiō, from Proto-Italic kapiō, from Proto-Italic kapjō — to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...
principal (Spanish): main, most important; essential; chief, boss
Definitions
- main, most important; essential; chief, boss
Ancestry of “principal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Spanish | [[prinçipal]], [[principal]] | — |
| 2 | Latin | principālis | first, original |
| 3 | Latin | prīncipium | a beginning, an origin, a commencement |
| 4 | Latin | prīnceps | first, foremost |
| 5 | Latin | primoceps | — |
| 6 | Latin | capiō | to take, to capture, to catch, to seize, to take captive, to storm |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kapiō | take |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kapjō | take, seize |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂pyéti | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |