English
chappe
Chappe comes from French chape ‘cape, cloak’, and goes back to Late Latin cappa ‘headwear, cap’.
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcappa1‘headwear, cap’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chape1‘cape’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentchape2as chappe‘cape, cloak’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997chappe2
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, French chape
- 2 Wiktionary, English chappe
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1997, R. Ewart Oakeshott, A Knight and His Weapons: “[…] part of the cross-guard. Often these chappes -…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcappaWiktionary, French chape‘headwear, cap’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chapeWiktionary, French chape‘cape’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentchapeWiktionary, English chappeas chappe‘cape, cloak’
- Englishearliest quotation 1997chappeWiktionary, English chappe. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1997, R. Ewart Oakeshott, A Knight and His Weapons: “[…] part of the cross-guard. Often these chappes -…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap- ‘head’
had, case, except, heavy, cash, accept, receive, catch, cable, heavily, capacity, behavior, capable, achieve, reception, capture, occupation, perception, recipe, recipient, chase, haven, behave, anticipation, anticipate, susceptible, deception, cater, hawk, caption, captive, capsule, cassette, conceive, deceive, captivity, deceptive, casket, deceit, conceivable, 132 more
through Proto-Indo-European *káput ‘head’
through Proto-Italic *kaput ‘head’
capitalism, capitalize, capitan, capote, capitaine, 59 more
through Latin caput ‘head’
capital, captain, cattle, chapter, chef, capitol, precipitation, capita, cad, mischief, mischievous, precipitate, capillary, chieftain, occipital, caddie, precipitous, capo, capitulate, escapade, jefe, dishevelled, scamper, chattel, chabot, cabochon, caput, 66 more
through Late Latin cappa ‘headwear, cap’
escape, cabin, cope, cape, chapel, chaplain, cabana, capa, scamp, capuchin, kaput, 19 more
through Old French chape ‘cape’
Today it means
noun A piece, typically of leather, fitted to the crossguard of European swords of the later medieval period, attested mainly in art, of uncertain purpose.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “chappe”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for French chape. 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 / Late Latin cappa / chappe