Chaplet
/ˈtʃæp.lɪt/noun
A small wreath or garland worn on the head, or a string of beads used for prayer.
Did you know?Chaplet entered English through French from the Latin diminutive *cappellum* / *capitellum* family, tying it to the ancient idea of something that sits on the head—why it could mean both a wreath and a rosary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kaput-
“head”
Latin
Latin
caput
“head”
Late Latin
Latin
capitellum
“little head”
Old French
Old French
chapel
“a wreath, garland, or small crown; later also a string of prayer beads”
Middle English
English
chaplet
“a small wreath or garland worn on the head”
Modern English
English
chaplet
“a small wreath or garland, or a string of beads used in prayer”