Where does “cifal” come from?

cifal (Volapük) comes from Volapük cif, from English chief, from Middle English chef, from Old French chief, from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput, from Proto-Italic kaput, from Proto-Indo-European káput — to seize, hold.

cifal (Volapük): cifal, leader of the Volapük movement and the...

Definitions

  1. cifal, leader of the Volapük movement and the...

Ancestry of “cifal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Volapükcifleader
2EnglishchiefA leader or head of a group of people,...
3Middle EnglishchefA leader, boss, or director; a chief official;...
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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kap-