English
captain
Captain comes from Middle English capitain ‘the head of a military force’, from Late Latin capitāneus ‘large, chief in size’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaput‘head’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcapitāneus‘large’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400capitaine
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500capitain‘the head of a military force’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526captain
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaput‘head’
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcapitāneus‘large’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400capitaine
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500capitain‘the head of a military force’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526captain
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “For out of the shal come a captaine, whych…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, case, heavy, receive, except, behavior, cash, accept, catch, achieve, heavily, chase, capacity, cable, recipe, capable, occupation, haven, reception, perception, behave, recipient, capture, hawk, anticipation, anticipate, chassis, susceptible, capitalism, deception, conceive, deceive, cater, capsule, deceit, cassette, conceivable, deceptive, caption, 138 more
through Latin caput ‘head’
capital, chapter, chef, escape, cattle, chapel, cape, cabin, capitol, precipitation, mischief, capita, mischievous, cad, chaplain, precipitate, precipitous, capillary, chattel, occipital, cabana, caddie, chabot, jefe, dishevelled, capo, capitulate, scamper, escapade, capa, scamp, kaput, chaperon, cabochon, capuchin, caput, 65 more
through Late Latin capitāneus ‘captain, commander’
through Old French capitaine
Today it means
noun A chief or leader.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / captain