capitano

Forms

capitano m (plural capitani, feminine (rare or humorous) capitana)^[1] Old Italian also had capitanio, capitaneo and capetano.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Vulgar Latin *capitānus (“chief, principal”), formed from Latin caput (“head”) (genitive ⟨capitis⟩); Late Latin had the similar capitāneus (“outstanding in size”).^[3][4][5] The LEI counts this Vulgar Latin form as unrecorded but certain, since it continues in Engadine and Old Occitan as well as in Italy.^[6] The form capitaneo, used for administrative and military offices, goes back to Carolingian Medieval Latin capitaneus, recorded in 798.^[7] In the feudal system the word meant the chief holder of a fief, and the syncopated Old Italian cattano “lord of a castle” and Old French chevetain (the source of English chieftain) keep that sense.^[4][8]

Nocentini says the Italian word gave French capitaine, Spanish capitán, Portuguese capitão and Romanian căpitan.^[4] The Byzantine title Ancient Greek κατεπάνω (katepánō, “the one placed above”) was latinised in southern Italy and blended with the word; it survives in the name of the Capitanata in Apulia.^[6][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is a Sienese letter of 1253.^[2] DELI's oldest sense, from Ugieri Apugliese in the first half of the 13th century, is a title of the vassals of important country places, and the TLIO's first sense is “feudal noble”.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Old Italian used the word for the commander of an army or band, and for the officer who governed a city or commune, as the capitano del popolo.^[2][5] It was also an adjective, “chief, principal”, from Brunetto Latini (before 1294) until the 16th century.^[3] The general sense “leader, guide” is in Cenne da la Chitarra before 1336, the ship's master in Piovano Arlotto before 1484, and the commander of a company of soldiers in Annibal Caro before 1566.^[3] The commedia dell'arte had the boastful soldier Capitano (Capitan Spaventa, Capitan Fracassa), and in sport the captain is the player who speaks for the team.^[5][9]

German took Capitano, Kapitän in the 15th century, partly from Italian and partly from French;^[9] English has capitano from 1611.^[9] Capitanare “to lead as captain” is in Giovanni Villani before 1348.^[3]

Timeline

• First half of the 13th century – Ugieri Apugliese uses capitano for a rural vassal.^[3]
• 1253 – A Sienese letter has the word.^[2]
• Before 1336 – Cenne da la Chitarra uses it for “leader”.^[3]
• Before 1348 – Villani uses capitanare.^[3]
• Before 1484 – Piovano Arlotto uses it for a ship's master.^[3]
• Before 1566 – Annibal Caro uses it for a company commander.^[3]
• 1611 – English capitano is recorded.^[9]

Meanings

Noun

1. The leader of an army, capitano di ventura, a condottiere.^[5][2]
2. A captain, the army officer who commands a company; in the air force, the commander of a squadron.^[5][10]
3. The master of a ship, capitano di lungo corso, a master mariner.^[5][10]
4. (historical) In the Middle Ages, the governor or military chief of a city.^[5][2]
5. (theatre) The boastful soldier of the commedia dell'arte.^[5][9]
6. A leader, a person of standing, capitano d'industria, a captain of industry.^[5]
7. (sport) The captain of a team, who deals with the referee.^[5][9]

Word family

• capitana
• capitanare
• capitaneria
• capitanato

Related words

• capo
• capitale
• cattano
• Latin caput
• French capitaine

Usage notes

The feminine capitana is rare or humorous; it was once also the flagship of a squadron.^[1][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
4. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
6. ^ a b Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 11, 10
7. ^ Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 11, 1
8. ^ Prati, Angelico (1951), Vocabolario etimologico italiano, Milano: Garzanti, p. 229
9. ^ a b c d e f Stammerjohann, Harro, et al. (2008), Dizionario di italianismi in francese, inglese, tedesco, Firenze: Accademia della Crusca; online at difit.italianisticaonline.it
10. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier