The story
- Proto-Indo-European*kap-?
- Proto-Indo-European*kap-
- Proto-Indo-European*káput
- Proto-Italic*kaput
- Latincaput
- Vulgar Latincapus
- Old Frenchchief
- Middle Frenchchief
- Frenchchef
- English todaychef
Unadapted borrowing from French chef (from the positions of chef d'office and chef de cuisine), from Old French chief (“head, leader”) (English chief), from Vulgar Latin capus (“head”) (from which also captain, chieftain), from Latin caput (“head”) (possibly related to English cap (“head covering”)). Doublet of cape, capo, caput, and chief through Latin, and head and Howth through Proto-Indo-European.
Words from the same roots
Old Frenchchief all →
jefe
Vulgar Latincapus all →
achieve
Latincaput all →
capeachievecapcaptaincorporalmischiefchieftaincabochoncaddiejefecaputcaudillocadelcapitecapitellumcapitulecattleheadchapemulticipital
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.