capitalis Latin · revision 7335

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=derivation|attested=Plautus|origins=la caput}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ka.pɪˈtaː.lɪs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ka.piˈtaː.lis]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''capitālis''' (neuter capitāle, comparative capitālior); third-declension two-termination adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is from [[caput]] “head, life” with the suffix [[-ālis]].^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The OLD's earliest citations are from Plautus, of capital offences, deadly danger and mortal enemies.^(OLD 2012) Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.^(Köbler 2010)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In law it meant concerning life, capital, ''capitālis poena'' the death penalty, as in Livy, of crimes punishable by death or loss of civil rights, and ''rēs capitālis'' a capital case.^(OLD 2012) The ''trēsvirī capitālēs'' executed sentences, as Varro notes.^(OLD 2012) It meant fatal, deadly, dangerous, and of enemies mortal, implacable, as in Plautus.^(OLD 2012) In Cicero, perhaps colloquially, it meant first-rate, capital.^(OLD 2012) Lewis and Short note the sense “of the head” survives only in the noun ''capital'', a priestess's headdress.^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+

+ In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant capital, chief, first, mortal.^(Stelten 1995) Medieval Latin used it of dues paid for personal dependence, ''cēnsus capitālis''.^(Niermeyer 1976) Its Late Latin neuter ''capitāle'' “property” gave Old French ''chatel'', the source of [[en|chattel]] and [[en|cattle]], and [[en|capital]] came in the early 13th century.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of capital crimes and mortal enemies.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 116–27 BC – Varro mentions the ''trēsvirī capitālēs''.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of capital cases and of the first-rate.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * early 13th century – English ''capital'' is recorded.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(law)'' [[m|en|Capital]], ''capitālis poena'', the death penalty.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Deadly, fatal; dangerous.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Of enemies, mortal.^(OLD 2012)

+ # First-rate.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' Due for personal dependence.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[capital]]

+ * [[caput]]

+ * [[capitāle]]

+ * [[en|capital]]

+ * [[en|cattle]]

+ * [[en|chattel]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}