Etymograph

English

caption

Caption comes from Latin captiō ‘deception, fraud’, from capiō ‘to take, to seize’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kapjō‘to take, seize’reconstructed
  4. Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEkapiō
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘to take, to seize’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaptiō‘deception, fraud’past participle of capiō
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1964caption

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kapyéti‘to be grasping’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kapjō‘to take, seize’reconstructed
  4. Archaic Latinc. 700–75 BCEkapiō
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapiō‘to take, to seize’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaptiō‘deception, fraud’past participle of capiō
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1964caption

Earliest quotation: 1964, New Books: The History of Railways. By Erwin Berghaus. Barri: “Some of the photographs are new and interesting, but…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kap-

had, head, heavy, except, catch, capital, achieve, heavily, behavior, capacity, captain, chapter, chef, escape, haven, behave, acceptance, cattle, cabin, chapel, hawk, cape, occupation, capitol, capita, mischief, chaplain, precipitation, conceive, mischievous, cad, conceivable, haves, chieftain, precipitate, occipital, heaviness, precipitous, capillary, chattel, 139 more

through Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti ‘to be grasping’

heave, heaving, heft, 28 more

through Proto-Italic *kapjō ‘to take, seize’

case, chassis, cashier, capsule, cassette, casket, kas, chasse, cajon, 27 more

through Archaic Latin kapiō

acceptable, imperceptible, 23 more

through Latin capiō ‘to take, to seize’

receive, cash, accept, chase, cop, cable, recipe, capable, recipient, capture, anticipate, reception, perception, deceive, susceptible, cater, anticipation, deceit, deceptive, deception, receivable, preoccupation, perceptible, preceptor, sashay, captor, 26 more

Today it means

noun The descriptive heading or title, of a document or part thereof.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / caption

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