Etymologically
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cappellus

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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