cheptel

livestock; herd; crowd (of people)

Alteration (based on the Latin source) of Old French chetel, itself an alteration (after chef (“important”)) of chatel, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin capitāle (in the sense of “head of cattle”), substantivization of Latin capitālis. Doublet of capital. Cognate with English cattle (from Old Northern French) and chattel (from common Old French).