English
captive
Captive comes from Middle English captif ‘a captive or hostage’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500captif‘a captive or hostage’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1593captive
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500captif‘a captive or hostage’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1593captive
Earliest quotation: c. 1593, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]: “Even in so short a space, my woman's heart…”
The story
Inherited from Middle English captif; derived from Latin captīvus, probably through a borrowing from a Middle French intermediate.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘seize, hold’
had, head, case, heavy, except, behavior, cash, accept, catch, capital, heavily, receive, chase, achieve, capacity, cable, captain, chapter, chef, recipe, capable, escape, occupation, recipient, cattle, cabin, haven, reception, perception, capture, chapel, hawk, behave, cape, capitol, anticipation, anticipate, chassis, precipitation, capita, 177 more
Today it means
noun One who has been captured or is otherwise confined.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English captif / captive