Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pluripotent” come from?

Pluripotent derives from English potent, from Latin potens meaning "powerful," from Latin possum meaning "to be able," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- meaning "to fill."

pluripotent (English): Able to develop into more than one mature cell or...

Definitions

  1. Able to develop into more than one mature cell or...

Ancestry of “pluripotent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpotentPossessing strength; Powerfully effective; Having...
2Middle Englishpotent—
3Latinpotēns—
4Latinpossepresent active infinitive of possum  "to be able...
5Latinpotisable, capable, possible
6Proto-Italicpotis—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpótismaster, ruler; husband
8Proto-Indo-Europeanph₃tis—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₃-to drink
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₃- →