English
potent
Potent comes from Latin potens ‘powerful, strong, potent’, from posse ‘to be able’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pótis ‘owner, master, host, husband’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pótis‘owner, master, host, husband’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*potis‘master, in control of’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpotis‘able, powerful, originally a lord, master’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposse‘to be able’next step skipped: Latin possum
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpotens‘powerful, strong, potent’present participle of posse
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500potent‘staff, crutch’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pótis‘owner, master, host, husband’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*potis‘master, in control of’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEpotis‘able, powerful, originally a lord, master’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEposse‘to be able’next step skipped: Latin possum
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEpotens‘powerful, strong, potent’present participle of posse
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500potent‘staff, crutch’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1596same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1596, William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King Iohn: “Cry, havock , kings! back to the stained field,…”
The story
From Middle English potent, borrowed from Latin potens, potentis (‘powerful, strong, potent’), present participle of posse (‘to be able’), from potis (‘able, powerful, originally a lord, master’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *pótis ‘owner, master, host, husband’
through Proto-Italic *potis ‘master, in control of’
impossible, possibility, 5 more
through Latin posse ‘to be able’
through Latin potens ‘powerful, strong, potent’
Today it means
adj Powerful; possessing power; effective.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pótis / potent