LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension two-termination adjective

capitālis

capitālis (neuter capitāle, comparative capitālior)
Classical[ka.pɪˈtaː.lɪs]Ecclesiastical[ka.piˈtaː.lis]

Meaning

  1. relationaltwo terminationof the head or life
  2. two terminationdangerous, which concerns the life or death
  3. two terminationdeadly, mortal
  4. two terminationexcellent

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecapitāliscapitāliscapitāle
genitivecapitāliscapitāliscapitālis
dativecapitālīcapitālīcapitālī
accusativecapitālemcapitālemcapitāle
ablativecapitālīcapitālīcapitālī
vocativecapitāliscapitāliscapitāle
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativecapitālēscapitālēscapitālia
genitivecapitāliumcapitāliumcapitālium
dativecapitālibuscapitālibuscapitālibus
accusativecapitālīs
capitālēs		capitālīs
capitālēs		capitālia
ablativecapitālibuscapitālibuscapitālibus
vocativecapitālēscapitālēscapitālia

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

capitali odio dissidere ab aliquo (De Am. 1. 2)
to be separated by a deadly hatred.
accusare aliquem rei capitalis (rerum capitalium)
to charge some one with a capital offence.

căpĭtālis, e, adj. caput.
I. Relating to or belonging to the head. In this signif. extant only in the subst. capital, a headdress of priests, Varr. L. L. 5, § 130 Müll.; but, capital linteum quoddam, quo in sacrificiis utebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 48 ib. —
II. Transf.
A. Relating to life, by which life is endangered, capital: periculum, peril of life, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 81; id. Rud. 2, 3, 19: caedis, id. Most. 2, 2, 44: morbus, endangering life, dangerous, Gell. 16, 13, 5.—
2. Esp. freq. as jurid. t. t. of those crimes which are punishable by death or by the loss of civil rights, capital, v. Dig. 21, 1, 23, § 2; 48, 1, 2: accusare aliquem rei capitalis, of a capital crime, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: qui in vinculis essent damnati rei capitalis, id. Sen. 12, 42: cui rei capitalis dies dicta sit, Liv. 3, 13, 4: reus rerum capitalium, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 39, § 95: manifesti rerum capitalium, Sall. C. 52 fin.: rerum capitalium condemnati, id. ib. 36, 2: damnati, Tac. A. 1, 21 fin.: in rerum capitalium quaestionibus, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: crimen, id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 23; Tac. A. 3, 60: facinora, Cic. poët. N. D. 1, 6, 13; cf. flagitia, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 5: maleficia, Dig. 48, 8, 18 pr.: judex rei capitalis, Quint. 7, 3, 33; Curt. 6, 8, 25; Cic. Dom. 30, 78: capitalium rerum vindices, Sall. C. 55 al.: fraudem admittere, Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26: causae, Quint. 8, 3, 14: judicia, id. 4, 1, 57: noxa, Liv. 3, 55, 5: poenā afficere aliquem, Suet. Caes. 48: condemnare, id. Dom. 14: animadversione punire, id. Aug. 24: supplicio incesta coërcere, id. Dom. 8: capitale nullum exemplum vindictae, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 18: supplicium, Curt. 3, 2, 17: capitalis locus ubl si quid violatum. est, caput violatoris expiatur, Fest. p. 50: judicium trium virorum capitalium, who had charge of the prisons and of executions, Cic. Or. 46, 156; Liv. 39, 14, 10; 25, 1, 10; cf. id. 32, 26, 17; and the joke of Cic. Fam. 7, 13, 2.—Also subst.: căpĭtal (postAug. sometimes căpĭtāle, as also in poorer MSS. of earlier authors), plur. capitalia, a death (real or civil), banishment, etc., in consequence of crime: capital = facinus quod capitis poenā luitur, Fest. p. 37: capital κεφαλικὴ τιμωρία, Vet. Gloss.
(a). Capital facere, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 16; id. Merc. 3, 4, 26: scimus capital esse irascier, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 38, 17: quique non paruerit capital esto, Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 21; id. Inv. 2, 31, 96: praesidio decedere apud Romanos capital esse, Liv. 24, 37, 9 Gronov.; Mel. 1, 9, 7 Tzschuck; Curt. 8, 4, 17; 8, 9, 34; Quint. 9, 2, 67: degredi viā capital leges fecere, Plin. 12, 14, 32, § 63; 10, 23, 31, § 62; Just. 2, 7, 8; Suet. Calig. 24 Oud. and Wolf; Sil. 13, 155; cf. Front. 4, 6, 3 Oud.—
(b). Capitale: capitale est obicere anteacta, Quint. 9, 2, 67; Tac. Agr. 2.—
(g). Plur.: capitalia: capitalia vindicanto, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6: capitalia ausi plerique, Liv. 26, 40, 17; Suet. Tib. 58.—
b. Trop.: inimicus, a mortal enemy, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 57: hostis, a deadly enemy, Cic. Cat. 2, 2, 3: adversarius, id. Fin. 4, 12, 31: odium, id. Lael. 1, 2: ira, Hor. S. 1, 7, 13: inimicitiae, Dig. 17, 1, 23, § 25: minae, Cod. 2, 20, 7: oratio, very pernicious, dangerous, Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: capitalis et pestifer Antonii reditus, id. Phil. 4, 1, 3: totius autem injustitiae nulla capitalior quam eorum, etc., id. Off. 1, 13, 41: nulla capitalior pestis quam, etc., id. Sen. 12, 39.—
B. That is at the head, chief, first in something, pre-eminent, distinguished (rare): capitale vocamus Ingenium sollers (as we often use capital), Ov. F. 3, 839: Siculus ille (sc. Philistus) capitalis, creber, acutus, etc., a writer of the first rank, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11 (13), 4: jocus, a capital joke, Treb. XXX. Tyrann. 10. —Comp.: hoc autem erat capitalior, quod, etc., more important, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 170.—Hence, adv.: căpĭtālĭter, mortally, capitally: lacessere, Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 4: odisse, mortally, Amm. 21, 16, 11.—Esp.,
2. As judicial t. t., of punishments, capitally, so as to affect life or citizenship, Cod. Th. 3, 14, 1; Veg. Mil. 2, 22.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kap-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*káput
  4. Proto-Italic*kaput
  5. Latincapitālis

Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin capitālis From caput (“head”) + -ālis.

Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchcheptelfrom Old French chatel
  • Englishcattlefrom Old French chatel
  • Englishchattelfrom Old French chatel
  • Catalancabdal
  • Catalancabal
  • Catalan*capālis
  • Occitancabdalfrom Old Occitan capdal
  • Normancatelfrom Old French chatel
  • Normanchatelfrom Old French chatel
  • Dutchkachtelfrom Old French chatel
Borrowings
  • Catalancapital
  • Englishcapitalfrom Middle English capital
  • Frenchcapital
  • Portuguesecapital
  • Romaniancapital
  • Spanishcapital
  • Aromaniancapitalj
  • Asturiancapital
  • Friuliancapitâl
  • Galiciancapital
Insular Romance
  • Sardiniancabidali
  • Sardiniancapitali
  • Sardiniancapitale
  • Sardiniancaudali
Italo-Romance
  • Italiancapitale
  • GermanKapitalfrom Italian capitale
  • GermanCapitalfrom Italian capitale
  • Italiancapetale
  • Corsicancapitali
  • Indonesiankapitalfrom Italian capitale
  • Yiddishקאַפּיטאַלfrom Italian capitale
  • Piedmontesecapitalfrom Italian capitale
  • Neapolitancapetale
  • Neapolitancapitale
Ibero-Romance
  • Spanishcaudalfrom Old Spanish cabdal
  • Portuguesecaudalfrom Old Spanish cabdal
  • Portuguesecabedal
  • Aragonesecadal
  • Asturiancaudalfrom Old Leonese cabdal
  • Old Leonesecallares
North Italian
  • Friuliancjavedâl
  • Friuliančhavedâl
  • Venetancavedal

In English words that came into English from capitālis

  • capitalcapitālis
  • cattlecapitāle
  • capitalizecapitālis

Quick answers

What does capitālis mean in Latin?
capitālis, a adjective, means “of the head or life; dangerous, which concerns the life or death; deadly, mortal”.
How do you pronounce capitālis?
In classical Latin, [ka.pɪˈtaː.lɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ka.piˈtaː.lis].
Where does capitālis come from?
Proto-Indo-European *kap-? → Proto-Indo-European *kap- → Proto-Indo-European *káput → Proto-Italic *kaput → Latin capitālis.
Which English words come from capitālis?
English words that go back to Latin capitālis include capital, capitalize and cattle.