per capita

Where does the word "per capita" come from? It comes from Latin per capita, and was adopted directly into English (1680s).

Per capita’s story begins in Latin: per capita meant “by heads.” By heads, from per (through, by) and caput (head). It reached English by 1680s as per capita. Latin 'by heads'; in law, inheritance divided equally per head. Today, per capita means for each person, calculated by dividing a total by the number of people.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient per capita "by heads", by heads, from per (through, by) and caput (head).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1680s per capita "for each person", Latin 'by heads'; in law, inheritance divided equally per head.