英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

caprice (n.)[caprice 词源字典]: "sudden change of mind," 1660s, from French caprice "whim" (16c.), from Italian capriccio "whim," originally "a shivering," possibly from capro "goat," with reference to frisking, from Latin capreolus "wild goat" (see cab). But another theory connects the Italian word with capo "head" + riccio "curl, frizzled," literally "hedgehog" (from Latin ericius). The notion in this case would be of the hair standing on end in horror, hence the person shivering in fear.[caprice etymology, caprice origin, 英语词源]
capricious (adj.): 1590s, from French capricieux "whimsical" (16c.), from Italian capriccioso, from capriccio (see caprice). Related: Capriciously; capriciousness.
Capricorn: zodiac sign, late Old English, from Latin Capricornus, literally "horned like a goat," from caper (genitive capri) "goat" (see cab) + cornu "horn," from PIE *ker- (1) "horn; head, uppermost part of the body" (see horn (n.)); a loan-translation of Greek Aigokheros, the name of the constellation. Extended 1894 to persons born under the sign.
caprine (adj.): "goat-like," c. 1600, from Latin caprinus, from caper "goat" (see cab) + adjectival suffix -inus (see -ine (1)).
capris (n.): "Capri pants," 1966, see Capri pants.
capsaicin: from capsicum, from which it is extracted + chemical suffixes.
Capsicum (n.): genus of pepper plants, 1660s, of unknown origin, a word said to have been chosen by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656-1708); perhaps irregularly formed from Latin capsa "box" (see case (n.2)).
capsid (adj.): 1889 in biology, "pertaining to capsidae," a type of insect, from Latin capsa "box" (see case (n.2)).
capsize (v.): 1780 (transitive); 1792 (intransitive), a nautical word of obscure origin, perhaps (as Skeat suggests) from Spanish capuzar "to sink by the head," from cabo "head," from Latin caput (see capitulum). For sense, compare French chavirer "to capsize, upset," faire capot "capsize;" Provençal cap virar "to turn the head." Related: Capsized; capsizing.
capstan (n.): late 14c., from Old French cabestant, from Old Provençal cabestan, from capestre "pulley cord," from Latin capistrum "halter," from capere "to hold, take" (see capable).
capstone (n.): also cap-stone, topmost stone in a construction, 1680s, from cap + stone (n.). Earliest use is figurative.
capsule (n.): 1650s, from French capsule "a membranous sac" (16c.), from Latin capsula "small box or chest," diminutive of capsa "box, case, chest" (see case (n.2)). Medicinal sense is 1875; shortened form cap is from 1942. Sense in space capsule is first recorded 1954. As an adjective from 1938. Related: Capsular.
capsulize (v.): of news, etc., 1950, from capsule + -ize. Related: Capsulized; capsulizing.
captain (n.): late 14c., capitayn, "a leader, chief, one who stands at the head of others," from Old French capitaine "captain, leader," from Late Latin capitaneus "chief," noun use of adjective capitaneus "prominent, chief," from Latin caput (genitive capitis) "head" (see capitulum).

Military sense of "officer who commands a company" (rank between major and lieutenant) is from 1560s; naval sense of "officer who commands a man-of-war" is from 1550s, extended to "master or commander of a vessel of any kind" by 1704. Sporting sense is first recorded 1823.
captain (v.): 1590s, from captain (n.). Related: Captained; captaining.
captaincy (n.): 1818, from captain (n.) on the model of lieutenancy or some similar word where the -c- is etymologically justified.
captation (n.): 1520s, from Middle French captation, from Latin captationem (nominative captatio) "a reaching after, a catching at," noun of action from past participle stem of captare (see catch (v.)).
caption (n.): late 14c., "taking, seizure," from Old French capcion "arrest, capture, imprisonment," or directly from Latin captionem (nominative capito) "a catching, seizing, holding, taking," noun of action from past participle stem of capere "to take" (see capable).

From 17c. used especially in law, and there via its appearance at the head of legal document involving seizure ("Certificate of caption", etc.), the word's sense was extended to "the beginning of any document;" thus "heading of a chapter or section of an article" (1789), and, especially in U.S., "description or title below an illustration" (1919).
caption (v.): by 1901, from caption (n.). Related: Captioned; captioning.
captious (adj.): c. 1400, capcyus, from Middle French captieux (15c.) or directly from Latin captiosus "fallacious," from captionem (nominative captio) "a deceiving, fallacious argument," literally "a taking (in)," from captus, past participle of capere "to take, catch" (see capable). Related: Captiously; captiousness.