Etymograph

English

cadel

Cadel comes from Latin capitellum ‘diminutive of caput (“head”): small head’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *kap-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kauput-1reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaput1‘head’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitellum1‘diminutive of caput (“head”): small head’diminuitive of caput
  5. Englishtodaycadel1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English cadel

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kap-Wiktionary, English cadelreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kauput-Wiktionary, English cadelreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcaputWiktionary, English cadel‘head’
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitellumWiktionary, English cadel‘diminutive of caput (“head”): small head’diminuitive of caput
  5. EnglishtodaycadelWiktionary, English cadel

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kap-

had, case, head, except, heavy, accept, receive, behavior, cash, achieve, catch, heavily, capacity, chase, capable, cable, recipe, reception, occupation, capture, perception, haven, behave, recipient, hawk, capitalism, anticipation, anticipate, susceptible, chassis, caption, captive, capsule, deception, conceive, captivity, cater, cassette, conceivable, capitalize, 139 more

through Latin caput ‘head’

capital, chapter, captain, escape, chef, cape, cattle, cabin, chapel, capitol, precipitation, capita, chaplain, mischief, mischievous, chieftain, precipitate, capillary, occipital, precipitous, cabana, capo, capa, capitulate, chabot, jefe, chattel, capuchin, kaput, scamper, chaperon, dishevelled, caddie, scamp, cabochon, caput, 67 more

through Latin capitellum ‘diminutive of caput (“head”): small head’

cad, cadet, 3 more

Today it means

noun An ornate capital letter used in calligraphy, consisting of interlaced pen strokes. See :Commons:Cadel letters.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “cadel”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kap- / cadel

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