Where does “povoir” come from?
povoir (Middle French) comes from Old French povoir, from Old French poeir, from Vulgar Latin potere, from Latin possum, from Proto-Italic *possom.
povoir (Middle French): can; be able to; power
Ancestry of “povoir”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | povoir | — |
| 2 | Old French | poeir | Alternative form of pooir |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | potere | to be able; second-person singular present... |
| 4 | Latin | possum | I am able, I can, I may |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *possom | — |
Words derived from “povoir”