caitiff

English

/ˈkeɪtɪf/

noun
Definitions
  • A base or despicable person; a wretch
  • (obsolete) A captive or prisoner, particularly a galley slave
  • (archaic) A villain, a coward or wretch

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English caitif derived from caitif (captive) derived from Latin captīvus (captive, prisoner) root from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂p- (seize, grasp, take, catch, grab, stick to, hold).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*keh₂p-

Gloss

seize, grasp, take, catch, grab, stick to, hold

Concept
Semantic Field

Possession

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms