Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “surpuissant” come from?

surpuissant (French) comes from French puissant, from Old French puissant, from Old French pooir, from Latin posso, from Finnish possu, from Finnish porsas, from Proto-Finnic porcas, from Romanian porc — passed , crossed.

surpuissant (French): extremely powerful

Definitions

  1. extremely powerful

Ancestry of “surpuissant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchpuissantpowerful; mighty
2Old Frenchpuissantpowerful; mighty
3Old Frenchpooircan; to be able to; power; ability; capability
4Latinpossoto be able
5Finnishpossupiggy, pig, piglet; a slovenly person; pork
6FinnishporsasA piglet; Pork; A pig in the sense of messy,...
7Proto-Finnicporcaspiglet
8Romanianporcpig , hog, swine; pork
9Latinporcusa piglet, a young pig; a pig, hog; Short for...
10Proto-Italicporkospig
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpórḱospiglet
12Proto-Indo-Europeanperḱ-colored; motley; to open, rip up
13Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
14Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →