Capitulum
/kəˈpɪtʃ.jʊ.ləm/noun
A small chapter, heading, or section; in botany, a dense flower head.
Did you know?In medieval Latin, *capitulum* was the standard word for a chapter heading, which is why so many “chapter” words across Europe ultimately trace back to the same tiny “head.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput-
“head”
Latin
Lat
caput
“head”
Classical Latin
Lat
capitulum
“little head; small knob; chapter heading”
Medieval Latin
Lat
capitulum
“chapter; section of a text, especially in ecclesiastical use”
Old French
OF
chapitre
“chapter; division of a book”
Middle English
ME
chapitre
“chapter; section of a book”
Modern English
En
chapter
“a main division of a book or other text”
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