English
capitalize
Capitalize comes from Latin capitālis ‘of the head’.
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English capitalize
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1983, Wendy Griswold, The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Cha: “In early morality plays, there appeared several vices representing…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcapitālisWiktionary, English capitalize‘of the head’
- Englishearliest quotation 1983capitalizeWiktionary, English capitalize. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1983, Wendy Griswold, The Devil's Techniques: Cultural Legitimation and Social Cha: “In early morality plays, there appeared several vices representing…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, cash, behavior, catch, achieve, heavily, chase, cable, capable, capacity, recipe, reception, occupation, perception, haven, capture, behave, hawk, recipient, anticipation, anticipate, susceptible, deception, chassis, caption, conceive, captive, capsule, deceive, cater, deceptive, cassette, conceivable, captivity, casket, 139 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
through Latin caput ‘head’
chapter, captain, escape, chef, cabin, cape, chapel, mischief, precipitation, chaplain, cad, mischievous, chieftain, cabana, capillary, caddie, precipitate, capo, precipitous, chabot, jefe, capa, dishevelled, scamper, scamp, occipital, capuchin, capitulate, kaput, chaperon, cabochon, caput, 70 more
through Latin capitālis ‘of the head’
Today it means
verb In writing or editing, to write (something: either an entire word or text, or just the initial letter(s) thereof) in capital letters, in upper case.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “capitalize”. 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 / Latin capitālis / capitalize