English
chapter
Chapter comes from Middle English chapitre, from Old French chapitre, from Late Latin capitulum ‘chapter, little head’, diminutive of caput ‘head’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*káput‘head’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaput‘head’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaput‘head’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitulum‘little head; chapter’diminutive of caput
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chapitre‘chapter’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a chapter’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1601–1602chapter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*káput‘head’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*kaput‘head’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaput‘head’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitulum‘little head; chapter’diminutive of caput
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chapitre‘chapter’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a chapter’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1601–1602chapter
Earliest quotation: c. 1601–1602, William Shakespeare, Twelfe Night, or What You Will: “In his bosom! In what chapter of his bosom?”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, heavy, cash, receive, except, accept, catch, cable, heavily, capacity, behavior, capable, achieve, recipe, occupation, reception, capture, chase, recipient, haven, perception, behave, anticipation, anticipate, hawk, susceptible, capsule, deception, conceive, deceive, caption, captive, casket, deceit, captivity, cassette, conceivable, deceptive, chassis, 134 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
capitalize, capitan, escapade, scamper, capote, capitaine, 60 more
through Latin caput ‘a head’
captain, escape, cattle, cabin, cape, chef, capitalism, capitol, precipitation, capita, cad, chapel, mischief, mischievous, chaplain, capillary, chieftain, cabana, occipital, precipitate, caddie, precipitous, capo, capa, scamp, jefe, dishevelled, capuchin, chattel, kaput, chabot, caput, cabochon, chaperon, 68 more
through Latin capitulum ‘a chapter of a book, in Medieval Latin also a…’
Today it means
noun One of the main sections into which a published work is divided, especially a book.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *káput / chapter