cappuccino

See also: Cappuccino

English

WOTD – 2 June 2022

Alternative forms

• cappucino (misspelling)

Etymology

PIE word
*káput

A cappuccino (sense 1).

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino (“cappuccino (coffee drink)”), from Viennese German Kapuziner (“Capuchin (a member of an order of Roman Catholic friars)”) (due to the similarity of the dark brown colour of the beverage to that of the monastic habit; compare Franziskaner (“Franciscan”), a contemporary coffee drink with more milk and hence a lighter colour, similar to the light brown habits worn by Franciscan monks), and café noisette. Kapuziner was in turn borrowed from Italian cappuccino (“Capuchin”), from Italian cappuccio (“cowl, hood”) (from the hoods of Capuchin monks’ habits) + -ino (diminutive suffix); and cappuccio from cappa (“cowl, hood; cape, cloak; sleeveless coat”) (from Late Latin cappa (“cape; sleeveless coat”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *káput (“head”)) + -uccio (“diminutive suffix”). Doublet of Capuchin.

The plural form cappuccini is derived from Italian cappuccini.

details

In English attested 1904 as “[small] coffee mixed with milk”, 1933 as “express strong coffee diluted with milk”; in Italian 1905 as “black coffee ‘corrected’ with milk”, and still in 1931 as “black coffee mixed with a little milk”; the modern sense of a coffee drink made with espresso at a bar presumably developed in the 1930s in Italian, and was borrowed into English. The Italian term is of Northern Italian origin, in areas of former or contemporary Austrian rule and influence. The German term Capuzinerkaffee (Capuchin coffee) is attested 1790, referring to a rather different drink (boiled coffee with cream, sugar, spice, and whisked eggs), though by 1848 and into the early 1900s the Kapuziner had come to mean a drink of coffee and milk, with more coffee than milk, by contrast with the Melange, which had more milk than coffee; this usage continues to the present.

The etymology is confusing for a number of reasons. Firstly, the sense of “coffee beverage” originated in German, not in Italian, but the word (in the sense “Capuchin monk”) was calqued from Italian into German and then the sense of “coffee beverage” was reborrowed back into Italian. Secondly, the beverage that it refers to has changed over time: the modern international beverage is based on the Italian espresso-based, milk foam-topped drink of the mid-1900s, not the Viennese drink of coffee plus milk or cream from the 1800s; in Viennese coffeehouses, the Kapuziner and Franziskaner are still served, while the Viennese equivalent of the modern foam-topped cappuccino is the Melange. Thirdly, the association of the word with the drink is sometimes (erroneously) believed to be due to the “cap” of foam in the modern espresso-based form of the drink, though at the time the word was coined (in the 1700s) the drink only consisted of adding milk or cream to coffee: espresso machines date to the 1880s and foam-topped cappuccinos date to the mid-1900s, long after the word was established.

Pronunciation

• Singular:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkæpʊˈtʃiːnəʊ/, /-pə-/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæpəˈt͡ʃinoʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  • Rhymes: -iːnəʊ
  • Hyphenation: cap‧puc‧ci‧no
• Plural (cappuccini)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkæpʊˈtʃiːni/, /-pə-/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæpəˈt͡ʃini/
  • Hyphenation: cap‧puc‧ci‧ni

Noun

cappuccino (countable and uncountable, plural cappuccinos or (less common) cappuccini)

1. (uncountable) An Italian coffee-based beverage made from espresso to which milk that has been steamed or frothed is added.

   Synonyms: cap (clippping), capp (clipping)

   Coordinate terms: caffè latte, latte

   • 1904, K[arl] Baedeker, Italy: Handbook for Travellers, 14th edition, 2nd part (Central Italy and Rome), Leipzig: Karl Baedeker; London: Dulau and Co., […], →OCLC, page xxi:

     Caffè latte (served only in the morning) is coffee mixed with milk; cappuccino, or small cup, cheaper; […]

   • 1962, Carlo Cassola, translated by Marguerite Waldman, Bébo’s Girl, London: Collins, →OCLC, page 50:

     “What will you have? A cappuccino? Two cappuccini,” […]

   • 1986, Jackie Collins, chapter 41, in Hollywood Husbands, New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 189:

     The waiter kissed his fingertips. “We have the best ice cream,” he announced. “Made on the premises. We have vanilla, cherry, rum, banana, strawberry—” / Jack stopped him. “You’ve hooked me,” he said. “Bring a dish of banana.” / “With hot chocolate sauce?” / “The works.” / “Nuts?” / “Everything!” / “And two cappuccini?” / “I think I’ll live dangerously and have a plain coffee with Amaretto on the side,” Jade said.

   • 1995 July 19, Suzanne Hamlin, “Coffee Drinks That Are Cool and Creamy”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 December 2022:

     Formerly used only in Italy and Seattle, it includes such tongue activators as latte, lungo, cappuccino, ristretto, macchiato, mochaccino and Americano.

   • 2016, Camilla Trinchieri, chapter 6, in Seeking Alice […], Albany, N.Y.: Excelsior Editions, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 126:

     Cesare brought over three cappuccini.

2. (countable) A cup of this beverage.
3. (countable, uncountable, proscribed) Any of various similar drinks.
   • 1948, Robert O’Brien, “Old Town”, in This is San Francisco, New York, N.Y.; Toronto, Ont.: McGraw-Hill Book Company, →OCLC, page 84:

     In fact, a step from the corner of Grant Avenue and Broadway is a café called “La Tosca.” Scenes from the opera are painted on the walls; [Enrico] Caruso sings from the juke box, and you drink a cappuccino, gray, like the robe of a capuchin monk, and made of chocolate that is laced with brandy or rum, and heated by steam forced through coffee.

     The color of the monks’ robes was misidentified as gray rather than dark brown.

4. (uncountable, also attributively) A medium- to dark-brown colour like that of the coffee drink (sense 1) or the habit of a Capuchin monk.

   cappuccino:  

   • 1928 September 29, “Tuttle & Clark [advertisement]”, in The Detroit Free Press, volume 94, number 2, Detroit, Mich.: Detroit Free Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15, columns 1–2:

     This Morning We Present The "Times Square"—a hat for gentlemen who appreciate the importance of correct attire. […] English Grey or Cappuccino Brown

Derived terms

• babycino
• cap
• capp
• cappuccinoed
• cappuccinolike
• crappuccino
• frappuccino
• iced capp
• mochaccino
• mugaccino
• mugachino
• nappuccino
• puppuccino
• puppychino
• yappuccino

Related terms

• capoch
• capuchin
• Capuchin
• marocchino

Translations

Italian coffee-based beverage made from espresso to which milk which has been steamed and/or frothed is added

• Afrikaans: cappuccino
• Arabic: كَابُتْشِينُو m (kābutšīnū), كَابُّتْشِينُو m (kābbutšīnū)
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Basque: kaputxino
• Bulgarian: капучи́но n (kapučíno)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 卡布奇諾 / 卡布奇诺 (zh) (kǎbùqínuò), 卡布其諾 / 卡布其诺 (zh) (kǎbùqínuò), 卡布基諾 / 卡布基诺 (zh) (kǎbùjīnuò)

• Dutch: cappuccino (nl) m
• Esperanto: kapuĉino
• Faroese: cappuccino m
• Finnish: cappuccino (fi)
• French: cappuccino (fr) m
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: Cappuccino (de) m
• Greek: καπουτσίνο (el) m (kapoutsíno)
• Hebrew: קַפוּצִ׳ינוֹ m
• Hindi: कापुचीनो m (kāpucīno)
• Hungarian: kapucsínó (hu)
• Indonesian: kapucino (id)
• Italian: cappuccino (it) m
• Japanese: カプチーノ (ja) (kapuchīno)
• Korean: 카푸치노 (kapuchino)
• Lao: ຄາປູຊິໂນ້ (khā pū si nō)
• Lithuanian: kapuči̇̀nas m
• Macedonian: капучи́но n (kapučíno)
• Malay: kapucino
• Māori: kawhe kaputīno
• Marathi: कापुचीनो (kāpucīno)
• Norwegian: cappuccino (no) m
• Persian: کاپوچینو (fa) (kâpučinu)
• Polish: cappuccino (pl) n
• Portuguese: capuchino (pt) m
• Romanian: cappuccino (ro) n
• Russian: капучи́но (ru) m or n (kapučíno)
• Sicilian: cappuccinu (scn) m
• Spanish: capuchino (es) m
• Swedish: cappuccino (sv) c
• Tagalog: kaputsino
• Thai: คัปปุชชีโน (th) (káp-bpùt-chii-nôo)
• Turkish: kapuçino (tr)

  Ottoman Turkish: كاپوچینو (kapuçino)

• Ukrainian: капучи́но n (kapučýno)
• Urdu: کاپچینو (kāpucīno)
• Yiddish: קאַפּוטשינאָ m (kaputshino)

cup of this beverage

• Afrikaans: cappuccino
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 卡布奇諾 / 卡布奇诺 (zh) (kǎbùqínuò), 卡布其諾 / 卡布其诺 (zh) (kǎbùqínuò), 卡布基諾 / 卡布基诺 (zh) (kǎbùjīnuò)

• Finnish: cappuccino (fi)
• French: cappuccino (fr) m
• German: Cappuccino (de) m
• Greek: καπουτσίνο (el) m (kapoutsíno)
• Hebrew: קַפוּצִ׳ינוֹ m
• Italian: cappuccino (it) m
• Japanese: カプチーノ (ja) (kapuchīno)
• Macedonian: капучи́но n (kapučíno)
• Norwegian: cappuccino (no) m
• Polish: cappuccino (pl) n
• Portuguese: cappuccino (pt) m
• Sicilian: cappuccinu (scn) m
• Spanish: capuchino (es) m
• Swedish: cappuccino (sv) c
• Ukrainian: капучи́но n (kapučýno)
• Yiddish: קאַפּוטשינאָ m (kaputshino)

medium- to dark-brown colour like that of the coffee drink or the habit of a Capuchin monk

• Polish: kolor cappuccino m

See also

• Appendix:Colors

Further reading

• cappuccino on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• cappuccino (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino. Doublet of kapucijn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌkɑ.puˈtʃi.noː/, /ˌkɑ.pyˈtʃi.noː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cap‧puc‧ci‧no
• Rhymes: -inoː

Noun

cappuccino m (plural cappuccino's, diminutive cappuccinootje n)

1. cappuccino

   Hypernym: koffie

Derived terms

• cappu
• havercappuccino

Further reading

• cappuccino on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑp(ː)uˌtʃi(ː)no/, [ˈkɑ̝p(ː)uˌt̪ʃi(ː)no̞]
• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑp(ː)uˌtsi(ː)no/, [ˈkɑ̝p(ː)uˌts̠i(ː)no̞]
• Rhymes: -ino
• Syllabification^(key): cap‧puc‧ci‧no
• Hyphenation^(key): cap‧puc‧ci‧no

Noun

cappuccino

1. cappuccino (beverage and serving)

Declension

Inflection of cappuccino (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		cappuccino	cappuccinot
genitive		cappuccinon	cappuccinojen
partitive		cappuccinoa	cappuccinoja
illative		cappuccinoon	cappuccinoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		cappuccino	cappuccinot
accusative	nom.	cappuccino	cappuccinot
	gen.	cappuccinon
genitive		cappuccinon	cappuccinojen
partitive		cappuccinoa	cappuccinoja
inessive		cappuccinossa	cappuccinoissa
elative		cappuccinosta	cappuccinoista
illative		cappuccinoon	cappuccinoihin
adessive		cappuccinolla	cappuccinoilla
ablative		cappuccinolta	cappuccinoilta
allative		cappuccinolle	cappuccinoille
essive		cappuccinona	cappuccinoina
translative		cappuccinoksi	cappuccinoiksi
abessive		cappuccinotta	cappuccinoitta
instructive		—	cappuccinoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of cappuccino (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative cappuccinoni cappuccinoni accusative nom. cappuccinoni cappuccinoni gen. cappuccinoni genitive cappuccinoni cappuccinojeni partitive cappuccinoani cappuccinojani inessive cappuccinossani cappuccinoissani elative cappuccinostani cappuccinoistani illative cappuccinooni cappuccinoihini adessive cappuccinollani cappuccinoillani ablative cappuccinoltani cappuccinoiltani allative cappuccinolleni cappuccinoilleni essive cappuccinonani cappuccinoinani translative cappuccinokseni cappuccinoikseni abessive cappuccinottani cappuccinoittani instructive — — comitative — cappuccinoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative cappuccinosi cappuccinosi accusative nom. cappuccinosi cappuccinosi gen. cappuccinosi genitive cappuccinosi cappuccinojesi partitive cappuccinoasi cappuccinojasi inessive cappuccinossasi cappuccinoissasi elative cappuccinostasi cappuccinoistasi illative cappuccinoosi cappuccinoihisi adessive cappuccinollasi cappuccinoillasi ablative cappuccinoltasi cappuccinoiltasi allative cappuccinollesi cappuccinoillesi essive cappuccinonasi cappuccinoinasi translative cappuccinoksesi cappuccinoiksesi abessive cappuccinottasi cappuccinoittasi instructive — — comitative — cappuccinoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative cappuccinomme cappuccinomme accusative nom. cappuccinomme cappuccinomme gen. cappuccinomme genitive cappuccinomme cappuccinojemme partitive cappuccinoamme cappuccinojamme inessive cappuccinossamme cappuccinoissamme elative cappuccinostamme cappuccinoistamme illative cappuccinoomme cappuccinoihimme adessive cappuccinollamme cappuccinoillamme ablative cappuccinoltamme cappuccinoiltamme allative cappuccinollemme cappuccinoillemme essive cappuccinonamme cappuccinoinamme translative cappuccinoksemme cappuccinoiksemme abessive cappuccinottamme cappuccinoittamme instructive — — comitative — cappuccinoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative cappuccinonne cappuccinonne accusative nom. cappuccinonne cappuccinonne gen. cappuccinonne genitive cappuccinonne cappuccinojenne partitive cappuccinoanne cappuccinojanne inessive cappuccinossanne cappuccinoissanne elative cappuccinostanne cappuccinoistanne illative cappuccinoonne cappuccinoihinne adessive cappuccinollanne cappuccinoillanne ablative cappuccinoltanne cappuccinoiltanne allative cappuccinollenne cappuccinoillenne essive cappuccinonanne cappuccinoinanne translative cappuccinoksenne cappuccinoiksenne abessive cappuccinottanne cappuccinoittanne instructive — — comitative — cappuccinoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative cappuccinonsa cappuccinonsa accusative nom. cappuccinonsa cappuccinonsa gen. cappuccinonsa genitive cappuccinonsa cappuccinojensa partitive cappuccinoaan cappuccinoansa cappuccinojaan cappuccinojansa inessive cappuccinossaan cappuccinossansa cappuccinoissaan cappuccinoissansa elative cappuccinostaan cappuccinostansa cappuccinoistaan cappuccinoistansa illative cappuccinoonsa cappuccinoihinsa adessive cappuccinollaan cappuccinollansa cappuccinoillaan cappuccinoillansa ablative cappuccinoltaan cappuccinoltansa cappuccinoiltaan cappuccinoiltansa allative cappuccinolleen cappuccinollensa cappuccinoilleen cappuccinoillensa essive cappuccinonaan cappuccinonansa cappuccinoinaan cappuccinoinansa translative cappuccinokseen cappuccinoksensa cappuccinoikseen cappuccinoiksensa abessive cappuccinottaan cappuccinottansa cappuccinoittaan cappuccinoittansa instructive — — comitative — cappuccinoineen cappuccinoinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• jääcappuccino

Further reading

• “cappuccino”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[3] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.put.ʃi.no/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

cappuccino m (plural cappuccinos)

1. cappuccino

Italian

Etymology

From cappuccio (“hood, cowl”) +‎ -ino. The coffee gets its name from the color of the beverage, which is reminiscent of the color of monks' habits.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kap.putˈt͡ʃi.no/
• Rhymes: -ino
• Hyphenation: cap‧puc‧cì‧no

Noun

cappuccino m (plural cappuccini)

1. ellipsis of frate cappuccino Capuchin (member of an order of Roman Catholic friars)
2. cappuccino

   Synonym: (informal) cappuccio

3. (slang) French letter, rubber johnny (condom)

Descendants

• → Catalan: caputxí, caputxino
• → Dutch: cappuccino
• → English: cappuccino
• → Finnish: cappuccino
• → French: cappuccino
• → German: Cappuccino, → Kapuziner (calque)
• → Polish: cappuccino
• → Portuguese: capuchino
• → Spanish: capuchino, cappuccino
• → Swedish: cappuccino

Adjective

cappuccino (feminine cappuccina, masculine plural cappuccini, feminine plural cappuccine)

1. Capuchin

   frate cappuccino ― a Capuchin [friar]

Further reading

• cappuccino¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• cappuccino² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• cappuccino (bevanda) on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^it

Polish

cappuccino

Etymology

Etymology tree

Late Latin cappa

Italian cappa

Italian -uccio

Italian cappuccio

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Proto-Italic *-īnos

Latin -īnus

Italian -ino

Italian cappuccinoubor.

Polish cappuccino

Unadapted borrowing from Italian cappuccino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.puˈt͡ʂi.nɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -inɔ
• Syllabification: ca‧ppu‧cci‧no

Noun

cappuccino n (indeclinable)

1. cappuccino (Italian coffee-based beverage made from espresso to which milk that has been steamed and/or frothed is added)
   1. cappuccino (cup of this beverage)

Adjective

cappuccino (not comparable, indeclinable, no derived adverb)

1. having the taste of cappuccino
2. having the color of cappuccino

Further reading

• “cappuccino I”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “cappuccino II”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[5] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “cappuccino”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[6] (in Polish)
• cappuccino in PWN's encyclopedia

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Late Latin cappa

Italian cappa

Italian -uccio

Italian cappuccio

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Proto-Italic *-īnos

Latin -īnus

Italian -ino

Italian cappuccinoubor.

Portuguese cappuccino

Unadapted borrowing from Italian cappuccino.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.puˈt͡ʃĩ.nu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.puˈt͡ʃĩ.nu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.puˈt͡ʃi.no/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.puˈʃi.nu/, /kɐ.puˈt͡ʃi.nu/

Noun

cappuccino m (plural cappuccinos or cappuccini)

1. alternative form of capuchino

Further reading

• “cappuccino”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “cappuccino”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino or French cappuccino.

Noun

cappuccino n (plural cappuccino)

1. cappuccino

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	cappuccino	cappuccinoul	cappuccino	cappuccinole
genitive-dative	cappuccino	cappuccinoului	cappuccino	cappuccinolor
vocative	cappuccinoule		cappuccinolor

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Late Latin cappa

Italian cappa

Italian -uccio

Italian cappuccio

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Proto-Italic *-īnos

Latin -īnus

Italian -ino

Italian cappuccinoubor.

Spanish cappuccino

Unadapted borrowing from Italian cappuccino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kapuˈt͡ʃino/ [ka.puˈt͡ʃi.no]
• Rhymes: -ino

Noun

cappuccino m (plural cappuccinos)

1. cappuccino

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cappuccino.

Noun

cappuccino c

1. cappuccino

Declension

Declension of cappuccino

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	cappuccino	cappuccinos
	definite	cappuccinon	cappuccinons
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• “cappuccino”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “cappuccino”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)