Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “geopotential” come from?

geopotential (English) comes from English potential, from Late Latin potentialis, from Dutch potentiaal, from German potenzial, from Latin potentialis, from Latin Potentia, from Latin potēns, from Latin posse — to drink.

geopotential (English): The work that must be done at a given altitude in...

Definitions

  1. The work that must be done at a given altitude in...

Ancestry of “geopotential”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpotentialCurrently unrealized ability; The gravitational...
2Late Latinpotentialisforce, power
3Dutchpotentiaal—
4Germanpotenzial—
5Latinpotentialisforce, power
6LatinPotentia—
7Latinpotēns—
8Latinpossepresent active infinitive of possum  "to be able...
9Latinpotisable, capable, possible
10Proto-Italicpotis—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
12Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →