# Etymology of escape



## Soffro lo stress

*Moderator note: Thread split from here.*




elcamarero said:


> Hola foristas:
> 
> Me pregunto porque en español una /e/ siempre se antepone ante una /s/,  seguida de consonante, al inicio de una palabra, como por ejemplo en  'especialista' o 'estricto', mientras que en otras lenguas que tienen  palabras similares, teniendo el mismo étimo, esto no ocurre. ¿Cómo se  puede explicar esto históricamente?
> 
> Gracias de antemano,
> saludos



In some other cases,more simply, that es- comes from latin ex-.

Just an example,but you can find other examples.

ex (out of ,outside) cap-io (I capture, seize, take.)

es-cap-ar (pt/sp)
es-cap-e (en)
è-chap(p)-er (fr)
s-cap(p)-are (it)
s-căp-are (rom)


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## francisgranada

*Moderator note: Post split. Other past is here.*



> ex (out of ,outside) cap-io (I capture, seize, take.)
> 
> es-cap-ar (pt/sp)
> es-cap-e (en)
> è-chap(p)-er (fr)
> s-cap(p)-are (it)
> s-căp-are (rom)


Not so true ... _Escapar_ comes from the latin *ex* (out) and *cappa* (coat, mantle).


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## Soffro lo stress

*cappa* ?

Maybe my own Latin dictionary is not so good, but the only *cappa* that i found means letter K....however could i see your source? maybe i m wrong.


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## francisgranada

Soffro lo stress said:


> *cappa* ?
> 
> Maybe my own Latin dictionary is not so good, but the only *cappa* that i found means letter K....however could i see your source? maybe i m wrong.


 
I have consulted more dictionaries (Diz. etim. italiano di Devoto, Diccionario de la Real Academia Espaňola ..) and all they report the same. The derivation from the verb capio would be problematic anyway (the double "pp", the infinitive in "-are", and even the meaning itself).

Infine, la parola _cappa_ esiste sia nell italiano che nello spagnolo (capa), quindi non so perché non si trova nel tuo dizionario ... Tutto sommato _scappare_ vuol dire originalmente "uscire dalla cappa" o qualcosa del genere.


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## Soffro lo stress

Well, there is no problem,maybe there is a simple explication:

then 

s-capp-are

here a source 

ww.etimo.it/?term=scappare

"from an alleged latin ex-cappare "

Cappare ,there is not on latin.
Cappa ,there is not on latin (with the exception of cappa ,with the meaning of letter k).

Now, a word on Latin near to word cappa is cap*t*a,which litterally means "captured".

This cap*t*a should be a participle of verb Capio.
Ok, there are other possibilities like ,cap*t*a imperative from Cap*t*o (same meanings of Capio,and which comes from Capio) and so on.But all possibilities lead to Capio.

Now ,it is possible that cappa is an altered form or a Medieval/Vulgar Latin of cap*t*a.

However *cappa* with the meaning of coat, mantle (with a figurative meaning of trap) can be possible ,even if it sounds me strange.


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## jazyk

My Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguese under the keyword _escapar _agrees with this, which is what Francis Granada wrote. I believe the apostrophe before excappare means it is not attested Vulgar Latin, that is why you don't find excappare in any (Classical) Latin dictionary.


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## Soffro lo stress

Well, that *asterisk (*)* before excappare simply means



> Words beginning with an asterisk are not attested in  any written source, but they have been reconstructed by etymological  analysis, such as Indo-European _*ped-_, the root of words for "foot" in most of its daughter tongues.



My italian dictionary uses the same abbreviations ,adding, that the *asterisk (*) *]Words beginning with an asterisk are not attested in  any written source, but they have been reconstructed using *hypothesis  based on **similar words comportment.

*You have surely understood that i completly disagree with this *hypothesis.

a) for the meanings of word cappa (mantle ,coat)

b) **similar  words ,as catturare (to capture),cattura (capture) , cappare (arcaic)  ,all comes ,strangely, from capio (for the moment i exclude incappare,  soon you will understand why)

c) Cappa should come ,if this source is correct from capio

ww.etimo.it/?term=cappa&find=Cerca

*Then even if the firsthypotesis is correct,escape from ex+cappa,ultimately,also that cappa (late latin) comes from capio.


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## berndf

As Francis explained, a direct derivation from _capio _would be problematic because it would be difficult to explain the change of conjugation (3rd to 1st); not because it would be impossible but because a development using the derivation pattern of the frequentative is much more common (cf. e.g. L. _dividere_ > VL. _divisare_ > Fr. _diviser_; L. _rapere_ > VL._ raptare _> Sp. _raptar_), i.e. we would have expected _excaptare_ and not _excapare_.

An indirect derivation through a derived noun would be possible, cf. e.g. L. _capio_, ppl. stem _capt-_ (ppl.) > L. _captura_ > VL. *_capturare_ > Fr. _capturer_. As far as I know, the etymology of Late Latin _cappa_ is not clear.  The dual meaning of _cappa_ as _cape_ and _cap_ apparently connected through the meaning _hooded coat_ existed already very early, cf. Isidor's _cappa = ornamentum capitis_, in _Etymologiae_, vol. 19, 31, 3. Hence, cappa could be derived from _capio_ as well as from _caput_, a hypothesis you find e.g. here.


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## Soffro lo stress

berndf said:


> As Francis explained, a direct derivation from _capio _would be problematic because it would be difficult to explain the change of conjugation (3rd to 1st);



This change could be a false change, because Capio and Capto are  "pratically" the same verb,same meanings, with Capto derived from  Capio,Capto should be an intensive form of Capio.



berndf said:


> cf. Isidor's _cappa = ornamentum capitis_, in _Etymologiae_, vol. 19, 31, 3. Hence, cappa could be derived from _capio_ as well as from _caput_, a hypothesis you find e.g. here.



I suppose that is the same Isidor cited here

ww.etimo.it/?term=cappa&find=Cerca

This source ,clearly ,says that cappa origin is unsure ,but ,at the same  time,that Isidor "thinks" (?) that cappa comes from capio.

What is strange, it is:why image,think, a derivation from caput (head)  or from cappa (mantle ,coat) ex-cappa(?) (out of coat??) ex-caput(?)  (out of head??) when there is an ,apparently,explication easier =?

Capio has a participle perfect (passive form) which is capta,the famous  Graecia capta (captured Greece).We could image a corruption between  capta and cappa.

Or a derivation directly from Capto,which pratically is Capio.

Why the other similar verbs ,somehow ,comes all from Capio?

Why Cappare which is the opposite verb comes from Capio?

ww.etimo.it/?term=cappare&find=Cerca


Why all these peoples ,suddenly, chosen to use ex-cappare (from cappa  meanings coat,mantle head ,out of mantle ,head??) istead of ex-cappare  (probably a simple corruption from Capio or Capto ,which are the same  verb, out of capture)?

To me ,it seems an illogical choice.And i m not the only that thinks it..

ww.etimo.it/?term=scappare&find=Cerca

We ex-cappamus ? We escape out of head ,out of mantle?

or 

We ex-cappamus? We escape out of capture?

To me ,it seems ,a little bit,  strange derivation.


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## berndf

Soffro lo stress said:


> This change could be a false change, because Capio and Capto are  "pratically" the same verb,same meanings, with Capto derived from  Capio,Capto should be an intensive form of Capio.


That is exactly what I said, if you read to the end of my sentence. And that's why we would expect VL. _*excap*t*are_ rather than _*excapare_. That is why a direct derivation of _*excapare _from_ capio_ (or _capto_, for that matter) is unlikely.

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Soffro lo stress said:


> This source ,clearly ,says that cappa origin is unsure ,but ,at the same  time,that Isidor "thinks" (?) that cappa comes from capio.


The passage I referred to in full:





> Capitulum est quod vulgo capitulare dicunt. Idem et cappa, vel quod duos  apices ut cappa littera habeat, vel quia capitis ornamentum est.


Here Isidor clearly associates _cappa_ with _capitulum_ which is derived from _caput_.

Grimm also quotes Isidor as saying about _cappa_: _quia totum capiat hominem_. This suggest a link to _capio_. But I can't find this passage in his _Etymologiae_. 

If you could find the passage somewhere I would be grateful.

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Soffro lo stress said:


> Why all these peoples ,suddenly, chosen to use ex-cappare (from cappa  meanings coat,mantle head ,out of mantle ,head??) istead of ex-cappare  (probably a simple corruption from Capio or Capto ,which are the same  verb, out of capture)?
> 
> To me ,it seems an illogical choice.And i m not the only that thinks it..
> 
> ww.etimo.it/?term=scappare&find=Cerca


I think you didn't read Pianigiani's explanation carefully. He also understands _scappare _as meaning _uscir della cappa_ (_=get out of the coat_) like all the other etymological dictionaries.


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## Soffro lo stress

berndf said:


> That is exactly what I said, if you read to the end of my sentence. And that's why we would expect VL. _*excap*t*are_ rather than _*excapare_. That is why a direct derivation of _*excapare _from_ capio_ (or _capto_, for that matter) is unlikely.


 I m sorry, i misundestood,but ,however i think that a simple corruption is possible, ca*pt*are into ca*pp*are.




berndf said:


> I think you didn't read Pianigiani's explanation carefully. He also understands _scappare _as meaning _uscir della cappa_ (_=get out of the coat_) like all the other etymological dictionaries.



He uses the sentence "da un presunto lat. ex-cappare" "from an *alleged* lat. ex-cappare".



berndf said:


> Capitulum est quod vulgo capitulare dicunt. Idem et cappa, vel quod duos   apices ut cappa littera habeat, vel quia capitis ornamentum est.


 
 There is no problem on cappa origin ,although if here 

ww.etimo.it/?term=cappa&find=Cerca

says that is from capere (i do not agree),it is clear "quia capitis ornamentum est 			 		",it is an ornament ,decoration of the head probably an hat.

The true problem is ,someone could create or created a link between  words like escape cape cappa and so on,which are similar ,but their  meanings are completly unrelated.

Now cape (caput) is the head,the beginning of something ,the beginning of a continent ,of land ,of a body,of a structure.

Cappa is an  "capitis ornamentum"  an ornament  of the head.

Escape is flee ,run away and so on.

I understand that someone could create a link between cape and escape,  they are similar,but their meanings tell us something different.

So it is easier image a link between Capture and Escape, the two words  do not looks similar,but their meanings ,istead, are similar,capture and  run away from a capture.

If we jump on latin is more evident Capt-are, Capt-ure,Ex-Capt-are, --->corruption--->Ex-Ca*pp*-are,Es-cap-e.


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## berndf

Soffro lo stress said:


> i think that a simple corruption is possible, ca*pt*are into ca*pp*are.


Possible, yes. But this would be a pure ad-hoc assumption. To give this assumption credibility you would have to find parallels.


Soffro lo stress said:


> He uses the sentence "da un presunto lat. ex-cappare" "from an *alleged* lat. ex-cappare".


He agrees with all the others that this etymology is speculative but it is the best we have.


Soffro lo stress said:


> So it is easier image a link between Capture and Escape, the two words  do not looks similar,but their meanings ,istead, are similar,capture and  run away from a capture.
> 
> If we jump on latin is more evident Capt-are, Capt-ure,Ex-Capt-are, --->corruption--->Ex-Ca*pp*-are,Es-cap-e.


Again as a pure ad-hoc assumption this has little weight. You would have to find parallels for Latin _-pt_ > Romance _-pp_ at the end of the stem.


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## Soffro lo stress

But all is ad hoc here , my speculation is valid as another speculation, all sources use an asterisk when they must explain the etymology of escape .

The asterisk simply means



> *asterisk (*) *Words beginning with an asterisk are not attested in  any written source, but they have been reconstructed using *hypothesis  based on **similar words comportment.*



etymonline



> *asterisk (*)* Words beginning with an asterisk are not attested in  any written source, but they have been reconstructed by etymological  analysis, such as Indo-European _*ped-_, the root of words for "foot" in most of its daughter tongues.






berndf said:


> You would have to find parallels for Latin _-pt_ > Romance _-pp_ at the end of the stem.



ww.etimo.it/?term=cappare


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## berndf

Soffro lo stress said:


> ww.etimo.it/?term=cappare


You man _cappare_ in the sense of _to choose, to pick, to select_? There we also have Spanish _copar = to take_. That is a good point.


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## francisgranada

Soffro lo stress said:


> But all is ad hoc here , my speculation is valid as another speculation, all sources use an asterisk when they must explain the etymology of escape.


 
Not exactly. The asterisk doesn't mean that it's _a priori_ a speculation. And it doesn't mean eigther that all the hypotheses (or "speculations") should be _equally_ valid. 



> asterisk (*) Words beginning with an asterisk are not attested in any written source, but they have been reconstructed using hypothesis based* on similar words comportment.*


 
Finally, every theory is a hypothesis, but not all the hypotheses are equally probable and not each hypothesis can be called theory. The mentioned *similar* *words comportment* is very important, even fundamental, in these cases. 

Even Pianigiani gives two alternative explations for _cappare_ (< capere and < capo). By the way, this dictionary is not the most recent one. Treccani and Devoto, more recent sources, do not report the hypothesis _cappare_<capere. 



> ... however i think that a simple corruption is possible, ca*pt*are into ca*pp*are.


 
Of course, but not probable as already told by Berndf. We should have to find other convincing examples, or at least a good explanation for this corruption. _Excaptare_ normally results in _*scattare*_ in Italian (but see also sp. _cautivo/cativo and _it._ cattivo_)_._



> Grimm also quotes Isidor as saying about _cappa_: _quia totum capiat hominem_. This suggest a link to _capio_...


 
When speaking about San Isidoro de Sevilla (560 – 636), I don't know much about him, but I'm almost sure that in his _Etymologiae_ he did not yet apply modern comparative linguistical methodologies .... (It doesn't mean that he cannot be right in any case, of course)


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## rubmuenchen

Hello,

I have another hypothesis:

ex cappare

cappare (middle latin for "cut", in the origin of the spanish capar: castrate)

So, ex cappare would be something like "(the ox) run out of the castration".

Regards.


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