Dictionary formcaput, capitis(neuter)
Translation
head; chief point; chapter
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Grammar
Cases
| Case | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominativethe subject | caput | capita |
| Vocativecalling someone: O ... | caput | capita |
| Accusativethe direct object; after ad, in (into), per | caput | capita |
| Genitiveof | capitis | capitum |
| Dativeto, for | capiti | capitibus |
| Ablativeby, with, from; after a, ab, cum, de, e, ex, in (in), sine | capite | capitibus |
Examples
dolet.
My head aches.
Roma .
Rome is the head of the world.
numeraverunt.
They counted the heads of the enemy.
.
His life and standing are at stake.
.
This is the first chapter of the book.
Caput, capitis is third declension and NEUTER, which matters in practice: the nominative and the accusative are both caput, the plural is capita, and the genitive capitis gives you the stem capit- for everything else.
The word travels a long way from anatomy. It is the top or source of anything: caput fluminis is a river's source, caput viae the start of a road, caput libri a chapter, caput rei the main point. In law caput is a person's civil existence, which is why capitis deminutio is loss of legal status and why a charge that threatens it is a capital one. Counting people by heads is Roman too, in capita.
The stem gives capital, capitulate, chapter (through capitulum), decapitate, and through Vulgar Latin the French chef and English chief. Its derivative capitale, "property held as capital", is behind both cattle and chattel, which were once the same word and were once counted by the head.
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Latin · Free printables
caput: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "caput" (head; chief point; chapter): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 2, lesson 1: caput, -que, ordo and 11 more words.