Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

caitiff

/ˈkeɪtɪf/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.17 in modern English

Syllables
caitiff
IPA
/ˈkeɪtɪf/
15
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A base or despicable person; a wretch.

noun

A captive or prisoner, particularly a galley slave.

Obsolete

noun

A villain, a coward or wretch.

Archaic

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English caitif, from Anglo-Norman caitif (“captive”), akin to Old French chaitif (French chétif) and Middle Dutch keytyf, from a Vulgar Latin *cactīvus alteration via Gaulish influence from Latin captīvus (“captive”); compare Italian cattivo (“bad, wicked”). Doublet of captive.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *kap-, caitif, -, captīvus

Usage

Inflected Forms

caitiffs (plural) catif (alternative, obsolete) cative (alternative, obsolete) catyve (alternative, obsolete) caitive (alternative, obsolete) caiteff (alternative, obsolete) caitiffe (alternative, obsolete) caytiefe (alternative, obsolete) caytiffe (alternative, obsolete) caytive (alternative, obsolete) more caitiff (comparative) most caitiff (superlative)

Questions

How do you pronounce caitiff?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkeɪtɪf/.
What does caitiff mean?
A base or despicable person; a wretch.
Where does caitiff come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce caitiff

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “caitiff”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkeɪtɪf/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “caitiff”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “caitiff” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.