capitulum

See also: Capitulum

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin capitulum. Doublet of chapiter and chapter.

Noun

capitulum (plural capitulums or capitula)

1. (botany) A densely clustered inflorescence composed of a large number of individual florets arising from a platform-like base.

   Synonyms: capitellum, sphaeridium

2. (arachnology) The head-like mouthpart apparatus of a tick, including the palpi, mandibles, and hypostome.

   Synonym: capitellum

3. (anatomy) A small protuberance on a bone which articulates into another bone to form a ball-and-socket joint.

   Synonym: capitellum

4. (entomology, obsolete) The enlarged end of a proboscis.
5. (typography, obsolete) The symbol ⸿. It was used to mark chapters or paragraphs, and is the ancestor of the pilcrow (¶).

Derived terms

• capitulate
• capituliform

Translations

densely clustered inflorescence — see flower head

Latin

Alternative forms

• (part or division of a writing): cap., c.

Etymology

From caput (“head”) +‎ -ulum (diminutive suffix).

Compare typologically Ancient Greek κεφάλαιον (kephálaion), Bulgarian глава (glava), Russian глава́ (glavá), Serbo-Croatian поглавље.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [kaˈpɪ.tʊ.ɫũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [kaˈpiː.tu.lum]

Noun

capitulum n (genitive capitulī); second declension (diminutive of caput)

1. A head-like object or structure.
2. (Late Latin) A chapter, either:
   1. A prominent section or formal division of a text.
   2. Various civic and ecclesiastical councils or bodies, as cathedral chapters.

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

	singular	plural
nominative	capitulum	capitula
genitive	capitulī	capitulōrum
dative	capitulō	capitulīs
accusative	capitulum	capitula
ablative	capitulō	capitulīs
vocative	capitulum	capitula

Synonyms

• (Late Latin: prominent part or division of a writing): caput

Derived terms

• capitellum
• capitulātim

Descendants

• Old Leonese: cabildo
  • Asturian: cabildru, cabildu (“lectern”)
• → Asturian: capítulu
• → Catalan: capítol, capítula
• → Old English: capitul
• → English: capitulum, capitule
• → French: capitule
  • → Romanian: capitul
• Galician: cabido; → capítulo
• → Old High German: kapital
  • Middle High German: kapitel
    • German: Kapitel, Capitel (obsolete)
      • → Swedish: kapitel
      • → Danish: kapitel
      • → Norwegian Bokmål: kapitel
      • → Norwegian Nynorsk: kapitel
• Italian: capecchio; → capitolo
• → Old French: chapitre
  • French: chapitre
  • → Middle English: chapiter
    • English: chapiter
    • English: chapter, chapiter, chapitre, chapiture, chaptre, chapyter, chapytre, chaptire (obsolete)
      • → Cebuano: tsapter
      • → Persian: چپتر
  • Walloon: tchaptrê, tchapite
• → Old Irish: caiptel
  • Irish: caibidil
  • Scottish Gaelic: caibideil
• Portuguese: cabido; → capítulo
• Sicilian: capicchiu; → capìtulu
• Spanish: cabildo
  • → English: cabildo
• → Spanish: capítulo
  • → Cebuano: kapitulo
• → Romanian: capitol
• → Middle Welsh: cabidwl
  • Welsh: cabidwl

References

• “capitulum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “capitulum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "capitulum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “capitulum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “capitulum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• capitulum in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)), Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016
• “capitulum”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly
• “capitulum”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin