Where does “impotence” come from?
Impotence comes from Middle French impotence, from Latin impotentia, meaning lack of power or strength.
impotence (English): Powerlessness; incapacity; Inability to copulate...
Definitions
- Powerlessness; incapacity; Inability to copulate...
Ancestry of “impotence”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | impotence | — |
| 2 | Latin | impotentia | poverty; inability; violence |
| 3 | Latin | impotēns | Powerless, weak, feeble, impotent, helpless, puny |
| 4 | Latin | potēns | being able (to), able; potent, mighty, strong, powerful |
| 5 | Latin | posse | present active infinitive of possum "to be able... |
| 6 | Latin | potis | able, capable, possible |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | potis | master, in control of |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |