Where does “impotentness” come from?
impotentness (English) comes from English impotent, from Old French impotent, from Latin impotēns, from Latin potēns, from Latin posse, from Latin potis, from Proto-Italic potis, from Proto-Indo-European pótis — to drink.
impotentness (English): The quality of being impotent
Definitions
- The quality of being impotent
Ancestry of “impotentness”, step by step
impotentness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English impotent
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | impotent | lacking physical strength or vigor; weak; lacking... |
| 2 | Old French | impotent | — |
| 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 |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |