Where does “Potentialdifferenz” come from?
Potentialdifferenz (German) comes from German Potential, from German Potenzial, from Latin potentialis, from Latin Potentia, from Latin potēns, from Latin posse, from Latin potis, from Proto-Italic potis — to drink.
Potentialdifferenz (German): potential difference
Ancestry of “Potentialdifferenz”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Potential | Alternative spelling of Potenzial; potential |
| 2 | German | Potenzial | potential |
| 3 | Latin | potentialis | force, power |
| 4 | Latin | Potentia | — |
| 5 | Latin | potēns | — |
| 6 | Latin | posse | present active infinitive of possum "to be able... |
| 7 | Latin | potis | able, capable, possible |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | potis | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pótis | master, ruler; husband |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₃tis | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₃- | to drink |