capo Italian · revision 37677

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=10th century, Glossary of Monza|origins=ine-pro *káput}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈka.po/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''capo''' ''m'' (plural capi)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old plurals were [[roa-oit|capita]] and [[roa-oit|capora]].^(TLIO)^(DEI|737) Northern forms such as [[lmo|co]] go back to the same word.^(LEI|11, 1021)^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|capus]], [[inh|la|caput|t=head]].^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(GRADIT 2003) In late imperial Latin the neuter ⟨caput⟩ was remade as a masculine ⟨capus⟩, which is found in an inscription.^(LEI|11, 1021)^(OLD 2012) DEI suggests that a further ⟨capus, caporis⟩ on the model of ⟨tempus, temporis⟩ lies behind the old plural ⟨capora⟩ and [[caporale]].^(DEI|737) The word is pan-Romance: [[fr|chef]], [[oc|cap]], [[ca|cap]], [[es|cabo]], [[pt|cabo]], [[sc|cabu]] and [[ro|cap]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)^(DÉRom) The French word came back into Italian as [[ceffo]] “snout”.^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin [[m|la|caput]] goes back to [[itc-pro|*kaput]] and [[ine-pro|*káput]].^(Wiktionary)^(de Vaan 2008) De Vaan compares [[got|𐌷𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌹𐌸|tr=haubiþ]], [[goh|houbit]] and [[ang|hēafod]], whose root vowel points to a variant form in Germanic.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Over much of the Romance area the old word lost its concrete meaning to the expressive [[testa]], which according to Rohlfs spread from northern France from the 4th century, while ⟨capo⟩ became more learned and literary.^(LEI|11, 1021) Meyer-Lübke saw the cause in the growth of the word's abstract senses, “chief, leader” and “end”, in Italian and French.^(REW 1935)^(LEI|11, 1021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The TLIO's first record is a gloss in the Glossary of Monza, of the 10th century, for “head”.^(TLIO) DELI dates ''capo'' “head” to Ristoro d'Arezzo in 1282, the date GRADIT gives;^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|2, 696) GDLI quotes him: “Pare che quello ariete abia corna, capo e ventre” (that ram seems to have horns, a head and a belly).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|2, 696)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative senses came early: “top, extreme part” in Bono Giamboni before 1292, “one who commands” in Brunetto Latini before 1294, “mind, intellect” in Dante before 1321, a headland in the early 14th century, and “single item of a series” in Giovanni Villani before 1348.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT) ''Capo'' for a chapter of a book is in Lionardo Salviati before 1589.^(DELI 1999) The TLIO records many medieval set phrases, such as ''da capo a piedi'' “from head to foot” and ''condannare nel capo'' “to sentence to beheading”.^(TLIO)

+

+ ''In capo'' in titles such as ''generale in capo'' is a calque of French ''en chef''; purists condemned it in 1831 and 1886, while Viani defended it as an Italian rendering of Latin ''in capite''.^(DELI 1999) ''Capodanno'' has been compared with Hebrew ''rōʼsh hashshānāh''.^(DELI 1999) Derivatives include the Roman ''capoccione'' and ''capoccia'', and ''caporale'', from the old plural ''càpora''.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ German took ''Capo'' in several senses from 1508, and ''Kapo'' “foreman” in the 17th century;^(DIFIT) ''kapo'' was the name of the prisoners put in charge of others in the Nazi camps.^(DIFIT) English ''capo'', the head of a Mafia family, is recorded from 1952.^(Etymonline)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 10th century – ''Capo'' “head” is glossed in the Glossary of Monza.^(TLIO)

+ * 1282 – Ristoro d'Arezzo uses ''capo'' for the head of an animal.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses it for the top or end of something.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Brunetto Latini uses it for a leader.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses it for the mind.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1348 – Giovanni Villani uses it for a single item of a series.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1589 – Lionardo Salviati uses it for a chapter.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1952 – English ''capo'' “Mafia boss” is first recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|head]], especially of a person: ''Si coprì il capo con un fazzoletto.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(by extension)'' The mind, as the seat of thought: ''Quell'idea gli girava per il capo da giorni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # A [[m|en|leader]], chief or boss, one who directs others: ''il capo del governo'', ''il capo dello Stato''; also a person with natural authority.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' A familiar way of addressing a stranger, especially a man.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # An [[m|en|end]] or extremity, as of a rope, a street or a room: ''dall'altro capo del filo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A [[m|en|cape]], a headland; in place names, ''Capo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A single item of a set, especially a garment (''capo di abbigliamento''), or a head of livestock.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A chapter or section of a text; a point of an argument or a charge (''capo d'accusa'').^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(heraldry)'' The [[m|en|chief]], the upper third of a shield.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[capodanno]]

+ * [[caporale]]

+ * [[capoccia]]

+ * [[capoccione]]

+ * [[capocchia]]

+ * [[capolino]]

+ * [[capata]]

+ * [[capatina]]

+ * [[capeggiare]]

+ * [[capobanda]]

+ * [[daccapo]]

+ * [[incaponirsi]]

+ * [[rompicapo]]

+ * [[sottocapo]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capitare]]

+ * [[capitello]]

+ * [[capo-]]

+ * [[capitale]]

+ * [[capitano]]

+ * [[capitolo]]

+ * [[ceffo]]

+ * [[la|caput]]

+ * [[fr|chef]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In everyday Italian ''testa'' is the usual word for the head, and ''capo'' in this sense is formal or belongs to set phrases such as ''a capo chino'', ''chinare il capo'' and ''lavata di capo'' “scolding”.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999) ''Andare a capo'' is to start a new line.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) DEI lists two minor words of the same form, ''capo'' “vine shoot” (14th century) and the nautical ''capo'' “rope”, perhaps from Spanish ''cabo''.^(DEI|737)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}