Where does “dispossess” come from?

Dispossess comes from Middle French despossesser, formed from the prefix des- (from Old French des-, from Latin dis-) combined with a root ultimately deriving from Latin potis meaning "able" or "powerful," with the prefix des- expressing reversal or negation of that power.

dispossess (English): To deprive someone of the possession of land,...

Definitions

  1. To deprive someone of the possession of land,...

Ancestry of “dispossess”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdespossesserto dispossess
2Middle Frenchpossesserto possess
3Old Frenchpossesserto possess
4Latinpossessuspossessed; seized
5Latinpossideōto have, hold, own, possess
6Latinpotisable, capable, possible
7Proto-Italicpotismaster, in control of
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
9Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink

Words derived from “dispossess”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ph₃tis →Every word from Proto-Indo-European pótis →