English
capitalize
Capitalize comes from Latin capitālis ‘of the head’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitālis‘of the head’
- Englishearliest quotation 1983capitalize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitālis‘of the head’
- Englishearliest quotation 1983capitalize
Earliest quotation: 1983, Wendy Griswold, The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Cha: “In early morality plays, there appeared several vices representing…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, cash, behavior, catch, achieve, heavily, chase, cable, capable, capacity, recipe, reception, occupation, perception, haven, capture, behave, hawk, recipient, anticipation, anticipate, susceptible, deception, chassis, caption, conceive, captive, capsule, deceive, cater, deceptive, cassette, conceivable, captivity, casket, 140 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
through Latin caput ‘head’
chapter, captain, escape, chef, cabin, cape, chapel, mischief, precipitation, chaplain, cad, mischievous, chieftain, cabana, capillary, caddie, precipitate, capo, precipitous, chabot, jefe, capa, dishevelled, scamper, scamp, occipital, capuchin, capitulate, kaput, chaperon, cabochon, caput, 70 more
through Latin capitālis ‘of the head’
Today it means
verb In writing or editing, to write (something: either an entire word or text, or just the initial letter(s) thereof) in capital letters, in upper case.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin capitālis / capitalize