capillus

Latin

Etymology

Apparently some diminutive form from the root of caput (“head”). Maybe cognate with Persian کوپله‎ (kūple, “hair of head”) or Persian کوبله‎ (kōbale).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kaˈpil.lus/, [kaˈpɪl.lʲʊs]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kaˈpil.lus/

Noun

capillus m (genitive capillī); second declension

1. hair (a single hair)
2. hair, head of hair

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	capillus	capillī
Genitive	capillī	capillōrum
Dative	capillō	capillīs
Accusative	capillum	capillōs
Ablative	capillō	capillīs
Vocative	capille	capillī

Derived terms

• capillāceus
• capillāgō
• capillāmenta
• capillāmentum
• capillāris
• capillascō
• capillātus
• capillitium
• capillōsus

 

Descendants

• Catalan: cabell
• Dalmatian: capei
• Old French: chevel, chavel, kevel (Old Northern French), cavel (Old Northern French)
  • French: cheveu
  • Lorrain: tchavou
  • Norman: queveur
  • Picard: cavieu
• Friulian: cjaveli, čhavêl
• Galician: cabelo
• → Gothic: 𐌺𐌰𐍀𐌹𐌻𐌻𐍉𐌽 (kapillōn) ( < *capillare)
• Italian: capello
• Mozarabic:

  Arabic: كَبَّالّه‎ (kapellu)

  Hebrew: קאפּאֵללו‎ (kapellu)

• Neapolitan: capello

• Occitan: cabel
• Portuguese: cabelo
• Romansch: chavel, tgavel
• Sicilian: capiddu
• Spanish: cabello
• Venetian: cavel
• Walloon: tchvea

References

• capillus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• capillus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• capillus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette