precipice: [16] The etymological notion underlying precipice is of falling ‘headlong’. It comes via French précipice from Latin praecipitium ‘headlong fall, steep place’. This was derived from praecipitāre ‘throw headlong’ (source of English precipitate [16] and precipitous [17]), a verb based on the adjective praeceps ‘headlong, steep’. This in turn was a compound formed from the prefix prae- ‘in front’ and caput ‘head’ (source of English capital, captain, etc). => capital, captain, chief
precipice (n.)
"steep face of rock," 1630s, from Middle French précipice, from Latin praecipitium "a steep place," literally "a fall or leap," from praeceps (genitive praecipitis) "steep, headlong, headfirst," from prae "before, forth" (see pre-) + caput "head" (see head (n.)). Earlier in English as a verb (1590s) meaning "fall to great depth."