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Where does the word "capture" come from? It comes from Latin capere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).
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Where does the word "capture" come from? It comes from Latin capere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).
Capture’s story begins in Latin: capere meant “to take, to seize.” The root of 'captive', 'captivate' and 'capable'. It reached English by 1500s as capture. Settled as the English word for taking someone or something by force. Today, capture means to take someone or something by force, or to record a moment or image.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient capere "to take, to seize", the root of 'captive', 'captivate' and 'capable'.
- Stage 2 · English · 1500s capture "to take someone or something by force", settled as the English word for taking someone or something by force.