cattle

The story

1. Latin · derived fromcapitālis“of the head”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromcapitāle
3. Anglo-Norman · derived fromcatel“personal property”
4. Middle English · inherited fromcatel
5. English todaycattle

From Middle English catel, from Anglo-Norman catel (“personal property”), from Old Northern French (compare French cheptel, Old French chetel, chatel, also English chattel) from Medieval Latin capitāle, from Latin capitālis (“of the head”) (whence also capital, from caput (“head”) + -alis (“-al”)). For the sense evolution, compare pecuniary and fee. Also compare Russian поголо́вье (pogolóvʹje, “total number of livestock”) from Russian голова́ (golová, “head”). Doublet of capital and chattel. Compare Old Dutch katēl ("moveable property, head of cattle"; whence Middle Dutch cateele, cateile, catteil, catel (“cattle, livestock, moveable property, assets”), modern Dutch kateil), Middle Low German katêle, katêl, kachtele (“moveable property, cattle”), borrowed from the same Romance source.

Words from the same roots