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cappellus

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Etymology and origin of the Latin word cappellus

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1083–1088, William of Hirsau
Ultimate origin
Latin cappa
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin cappa
French chape
Latin cappellus
French chapeau
Italian cappello
From the same root
Latin capella ← cappa

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [kapˈpɛl.lʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [kapˈpɛl.lus][1]

Forms

cappellus m (genitive cappellī); second declension[1] It is also spelled capellus, and the MLW records a neuter capellum and, rarely, a feminine capella.[2][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin cappa (“cape, cap”) + -ellus, a diminutive.[4][5][3]

It lived on in Italian cappello, Spanish capillo and French chapeau.[4][3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLL records it first in glossaries, which explain the Latin words for a cap or headdress, galerus and cidaris, with it.[4]

Semantic evolution

It was the everyday medieval word for a cap, bonnet or hat, also a hood.[3][2][5] In monasteries a cap was sewn to the novices' frock, and a monk might have one of sheepskin or catskin.[2] It could also mean a helmet,[3][7] and in the Czech lands the cardinal's hat and the hood of a priest's cope.[7]

Timeline

  • 1083–1088 – William of Hirsau's monastic constitutions describe a cap sewn to the novices' frock.[2][5]
  • 1085–1105 – Hariulf's chronicle lists a cap decorated with gold.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A cap, bonnet or hat.[3][2][5]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A hood.[2][7][5]
  3. (Medieval Latin) A helmet.[3][7]
  4. (Medieval Latin) The cardinal's hat.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c d e Latinitatis medii aevi lexicon Bohemorum / Slovník středověké latiny v českých zemích (1977–), Prague: Academia; electronic version, Institute of Philosophy of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Descendants

Cite this entry

“Cappellus.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/cappellus. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·