*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of kappa

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κάππα (káppa), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *kapp- (“palm, hand”). Doublet of kaph.

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet. · A measurement of the sensitivity of the value of an option to changes in the implied volatility of the price of the underlying asset.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κάππα (káppa), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *kapp- (“palm, hand”). Doublet of kaph.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Learned-borrowing mentionκάππαgrc
  • Derivation mention*kapp-sem-pro · palm, hand
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "lbor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "κάππα"
      },
      "expansion": "Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κάππα (káppa)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sem-pro",
        "3": "*kapp-",
        "t": "palm, hand"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Semitic *kapp- (“palm, hand”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "kaph"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of kaph"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "κάππα",
      "κάππα#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*kapp-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Semitic/kapp-"
    ],
    [
      "kaph",
      "kaph#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The tenth letter of the Greek alphabet.",
        "A measurement of the sensitivity of the value of an option to changes in the implied volatility of the price of the underlying asset."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "44b173a27a4048d60733635842ebe358e5314af03df033c7e36199ce6b514b9f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "c93eb90b0490aa282878e044b5a71b517512207981e08e74d90e918299f4cc38",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 125753
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A tortoise-like demon or imp.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Japanese 河童 (kappa, “water imp”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mention河童ja · water imp
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (folklore)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "河童",
        "tr": "kappa",
        "t": "water imp"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese 河童 (kappa, “water imp”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "河童",
      "河童#Japanese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A tortoise-like demon or imp."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Japanese"
      ],
      "recordId": "1415b260b4ee5333ec5ff42910f3a1665c7decb700a240768df29ecc8ef787e9",
      "rawRecordSha256": "345dc5b383d7630a9c6fb10f2a586198aae2767d419ddf208eb3e70f8c397b8a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 125754
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kappa →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-a2FwcGE