Gender Masculine
Usage Ancient Roman
Meaning & History
Derived from Latin capitolium (related to Late Latin capitellum "small head, top of column", from which we derived our current word 'capital'), which is ultimately derived from Latin caput "head". It refers to Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, which haused a temple dedicated to the triple-deity named the Capitoline Triad. The name Capitolinus was a cognomen for at least two Romans from the 4th century BC, namely Marcus Manlius Capitolinus and his brother Aulus Manlius Capitolinus.