The term capricious (meaning “apt to suddenly change mood or behavior”) has an interesting etymology. It was first used in the 1590s with the meaning of “whimsical”, and the modern definition came about a decade later. The word originates from the French word capricieux, which means “whimsical”, and this in turn comes from the Italian cappricio, which can be translated as “whim”, “shivering”, “tantrum”, or “sudden start” (you may recognize it as a musical term, and the source of caprice). It is curious to note that cappricio is derived from capo, meaning “head”, and riccio, meaning “curly” or “frizzled”. The reason for this connection is uncertain, with theories suggesting that shivering individuals were believed to have frizzled hair or that there was a historical link between capricious individuals and curly hair. The word capo has been extensively discussed in previous writings, as it is related to various other terms such as cabbage, capitol, precipitate, chef, cattle, recap, and many more. On the other hand, riccio is a new term for me. It originates from the Latin word for “hedgehog”, ericius, which ultimately traces back to Proto-Indo-European gher, also meaning “hedgehog”.
