Capitle

/ˈkæp.ɪ.tᵊl/ noun

Definition

An archaic or obsolete variant of capital (the architectural top of a pillar/column); sometimes spelled capittle.

Etymology

From Old French capitel, from Latin capitellum (little head). An alternate historical spelling that fell out of favor as 'capital' became standard.

Kelly Says

This spelling variant shows how spelling wasn't standardized in medieval times—different writers spelled the same word different ways. The version 'capitle' eventually lost out to 'capital,' but it's still lurking in very old texts!

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