# Caput



## Roi Marphille

Hey, 
I'm wondering about the word "*caput*". Latin for "head"
Many use it nowadays to refer something or someone dead. 
Castilian-Spanish: "mi ordenador está caput" meaning my computer is dead or in a really bad condition. 
I heard this expression in other languages and in English in a movie..
Is it in use in every language? 
Is it a kind of International known-word?  

cheers

Roi


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## Whodunit

I daresay that the German word "kaputt" is the original one and every language borrowed it. I don't know of an Old German word for that, but I think it was something like that as well. Even in English people use "kaput" for things that are broken, lik in German.

The Latin word "caput" is still in use as "Kapuze" in German, which means "hood".


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## Jana337

Like in German, we use "kaput" for broken things. The word is of French origin according to the Duden: frz. (Kartenspiel) être/faire capot= ohne Stich sein

Jana


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## Outsider

See what the Online Etymology Dictionary has to say about 'kaput/caput'.


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## Moni

hi guys, in poland we use this word too but for dead people, not things, and we borrowed it from german. so when we say "he's kaput" we mean "he's dead"


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## elroy

As far as I know, Arabic doesn't use this word.  We don't even have a "p."


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## alby

we use word "kaput" for situations, to "finish" something, or be "done" with something , sometimes we use it when someone die's, but in croatia it's not very nice term to say _he's caput._


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## yasemin

in turkish, it is kaput and means 1. greatcoat, but it is not used very often 2. motor hood 3. condom (that's really vulgar though!) 

and a dictionary says that it means also broken, but i have never ever heard that usage


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## nigelofk

Nice thread.

It sounds like all the terms are originally derived from 'capita' for head.

The Capuchin Monks (wherefrom is named the monkey) wear a hooded garment, whence Kapuze auf Deutsch. The Stefandom is the main cathedral in Vienna, but all the Hapsburgs are interred at the more modest Kapuziner Kirche. 

The Serbs call their greatcoat "kaput" as well, maybe from Turkish, but it's just as likely from the west, since it probably describes a coat that covers the head as well. Form follows function, as does the name.

The origin of "chief/chef" is likewise capita. Brought into English via a Norman (French) filter, both the initial and final consonants were affricated -- k => ch/sh and p => f. (cf. castle vs. chateau.)


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## Ilmo

Finnish:
"Kaput" is colloquial in Finnish and means both broken and dead.
Used to be more common around World War II.


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## zaby

Ilmo said:
			
		

> Finnish:
> "Kaput" is colloquial in Finnish and means both broken and dead.
> Used to be more common around World War II.


It's a colloquial word to say broken/dead in French too.
Edit: i'm wondering if we write it "kaput", "caput" or "capout"  



			
				Outsider said:
			
		

> See what the Online Etymology Dictionary has to say about 'kaput/caput'.


The expressions "faire capot" or "être capot" are still used in French card games


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## MindStorm

In russian you can also use caput to say something is broken or someone is dead (though it isnt wide spread, but i think everyone can understand it), but nowdays it is being used mostly in witty manner. But this word is mostly associated with the name of Adolph Hitler. It's always said "hitler kaput" in old movies and stuff


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## Zoltan

<<The expressions "faire capot" or "être capot" are still used in French card games>>

That made me think. It has nothing to do with being finished but in french, "capoter" is a collequial term for going crazy, or freaking out.

As in : "J'ai vu ma teste et je me suis capoter!"

I would agree that the original kaputt is from german though


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## Outsider

According to the link above, the German word is of French origin.


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## Lancel0t

Roi Marphille said:
			
		

> *Is it in use in every language?
> Is it a kind of International known-word?*


Unfortunately, we don't use that word in our country. In Filipino, we will use the word "patay" if something/someone is dead or something is turned-off, if it is broken it is "sira/wasak"


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## Cracker Jack

Whodunit said:
			
		

> I daresay that the German word "kaputt" is the original one and every language borrowed it. I don't know of an Old German word for that, but I think it was something like that as well. Even in English people use "kaput" for things that are broken, lik in German.
> 
> The Latin word "caput" is still in use as "Kapuze" in German, which means "hood".


 
Whod I understand that ''kaputt'' is a German adjective to mean broken or non-functional. So, is it possible to say -* Mein Computer ist kaputt.* 

However, if a telephone does not have a dial tone can it also be said - *Das Telefon ist kaputt.*


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## Nizo

In *Esperanto*, _kaputa_ means not functioning, broken, fallen apart, or ruined.  From the German.


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## Lopes

In Dutch 'kapot' has the same meaning as the German 'kaputt'


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## suslik

In Estonian we say kaputt, when something is broken or missing, or somebody is dead.


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## deine

In Lithuania we say kaput. We use it when something is boken and not works any more or when someone has a serious problem and does not know how to solve it or when somebody is dead But we usually do not use this word to say that somebody is dead because it is impolite and quite hurting to say that.


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## Stéphane89

Zoltan said:


> <<The expressions "faire capot" or "être capot" are still used in French card games>>
> 
> That made me think. It has nothing to do with being finished but in french, "capoter" is a collequial term for going crazy, or freaking out.
> 
> As in : "J'ai vu ma teste et je me suis capoter!"
> 
> I would agree that the original kaputt is from german though


 
Right! Kids generally say _'caput'_ when something is broken but adults don't do so.

E.g: _'Mon jouet il est caput'_ ==> _My toy it is broken._

In *Dutch*, I think there's the verb _'kapotmaken'_ which means _'to break, to damage'_.


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## irene.acler

In *Italian* we say _kaput_ when someone is almost dead or very tired/frustrated.


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## Encolpius

Interesting thread. 

*Hungarian *--- kaput = something is broken


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## M Mira

In Taiwan, the colloquial term for "fail, F'ed-up, broken" is "gg", usually realized as [tɕy˥˥.tɕy˥˥]. It's quite new and has been around for less than a decade I believe.


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## bibax

MindStorm said:


> ... But this word is mostly associated with the name of Adolph Hitler. It's always said "hitler kaput" in old movies and stuff


Kaput is rarely used in Czech. We use it mainly in a primitive communication with foreigners, esp. Germans and Austrians (auto kaput, metro kaput, bier kaput, koch kaput, ...).

I have this word associated with the phrase "Hitler kaput", used mostly in the war movies, esp. Soviet ones ("Гитлер капут").


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## ilocas2

^But in this case it's not Czech word but German word used by Czechs in the same manner like Czechs use English word "of" in communication with Americans, for example.


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## franknagy

Encolpius said:


> Interesting thread.
> 
> *Hungarian *--- kaput = something is broken


The word *kaput* used to be applied to dead men in the translations of Soviet literature about the Second Word War: "Hitler kaput." I think nowadays the word falls into disuse.

Fresh replacements:

Something - Valami bedöglött, beszart.
Somebody - Valaki kinyiffant.


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## apmoy70

In Greek we do not use it, we prefer the mediopassive participle *«τελειωμένος, -νη, -νο»* [teʎoˈmenos] (measc.), [teʎoˈmeni] (fem.), [teʎoˈmeno] (neut.) < Classical perfect tense, middle voice participle *«τετελειωμένος, - νη, -νον» tĕtĕleiōménŏs* (masc.), *tĕtĕleiōménē* (fem.), *tĕtĕleiōménŏn* (neut.) --> _s/he/it's done, finished_ < Classical denominative v. *«τελειόω/τελειῶ» tĕleióō* (uncontracted)/*tĕleiô* (uncontracted) --> _to make perfect, complete, accomplish_ < Classical neut. noun *«τέλος» télŏs* --> _end, limit, goal, fulfillment, accomplishment, determination_ (two etymologically different words seem to have merged in «τέλος»; from PIE *telh₂- _to lift, carry_ & from PIE *kʷel- _to move, turn around_).

PS: I encountered the German word Kaputt for the first time, in my teen years when I read Curzio Malaparte's homonymous book. If you're interested in WW2 history and diplomacy, can't recommend it enough.


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