Where does “rompecabezas” come from?

rompecabezas (Spanish) comes from Spanish cabeza, from Old Spanish 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.

rompecabezas (Spanish): A jigsaw puzzle

Definitions

  1. A jigsaw puzzle

Ancestry of “rompecabezas”, step by step

rompecabezas traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Spanish cabeza

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishcabezahead; mind; guy, dude
2Old Spanishcabeçahead
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 Spanish romper

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishromperto break; to break up, terminate; to begin to do...
2Old Spanishromper
3Latinrumpōto break, burst, tear, rend, rupture; break asunder, force open
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrunéptito be breaking
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrewp-to break, tear
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanHrew-to tear out, dig out, open, acquire
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap-Every word from Proto-Indo-European káputEvery word from Proto-Italic kaput