Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “biopower” come from?

Biopower comes from English power and the Ancient Greek combining form βίο- (from βίος, "life"), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós.

biopower (English): The sum of the various techniques used by modern...

Definitions

  1. The sum of the various techniques used by modern...

Ancestry of “biopower”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishPowerA button of a computer, a video game console, or...
2Middle Englishpower—
3Anglo-Normanpoer—
4Latinpotēre—
5Latinpossepresent active infinitive of possum  "to be able...
6Latinpotisable, capable, possible
7Proto-Italicpotis—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
9Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →