Where does “potent” come from?
Potent comes from Middle English potent, from Latin potens meaning "powerful," derived from Latin possum meaning "to be able."
potent (English): Possessing strength; Powerfully effective; Having...
Definitions
- Possessing strength; Powerfully effective; Having...
Ancestry of “potent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | potent | staff, crutch |
| 2 | Latin | potēns | being able (to), able; potent, mighty, strong, powerful |
| 3 | Latin | posse | present active infinitive of possum "to be able... |
| 4 | Latin | potis | able, capable, possible |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | potis | master, in control of |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |