Etymograph

English

preceptor

Preceptor comes from Latin praeceptor ‘commander’, from capiō ‘to take’, 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’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeceptor‘commander’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500preceptor
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1793same form

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’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpraeceptor‘commander’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500preceptor
  8. Englishearliest quotation c. 1793same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1793, Edward Gibbon, Memoirs: “A man who had thought so much on the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kap-

had, head, capital, heavy, catch, captain, capacity, escape, achieve, heavily, behavior, chapter, except, cape, chef, occupation, cattle, cabin, haven, chapel, behave, capitol, capita, hawk, acceptance, captive, chaplain, cad, captivity, mischief, precipitation, conceive, mischievous, conceivable, haves, capillary, chieftain, capo, cabana, occipital, 138 more

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

heave, heaving, heft, 28 more

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

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

through Archaic Latin kapiō

acceptable, imperceptible, 23 more

through Latin capiō ‘to take’

cash, capable, cable, chase, cop, receive, accept, capture, recipe, perception, anticipation, anticipate, recipient, cater, caption, reception, susceptible, deception, deceive, deceit, deceptive, preoccupation, receivable, captivate, perceptible, sashay, captor, 25 more

Today it means

noun A teacher or tutor.

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

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

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