Where does “possess” come from?
Possess comes from Middle English possessen, from Old French possesser, from Latin possessus, past participle of possidēre meaning "to have or hold," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sed- meaning "to sit."
possess (English): To have; to have ownership of; To take control of...
Definitions
- To have; to have ownership of; To take control of...
Ancestry of “possess”, step by step
possess traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English possessen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | possessen | — |
| 2 | Middle French | possesser | to possess |
| 3 | Old French | possesser | to possess |
| 4 | Latin | possessus | possessed; seized |
| 5 | Latin | possideō | to have, hold, own, possess |
| 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 |