impotenter

Forms

impotenter (comparative impotentius, superlative impotentissimē)^[1][2] It is also spelled inpotenter.^[1][3]

Etymology

It is from Latin impotēns (“powerless; unrestrained”) + -ter.^[1][4][5] The adjective is formed from potēns (“powerful”), which de Vaan derives from the stative verb Proto-Italic *pot-ē- (“to be master”), built on Proto-Indo-European *pót-i- (“master, lord”).^[6]

That noun is continued in Sanskrit पति (páti-, “lord, master”) and Ancient Greek πόσις (pósis, “husband”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler records it from Livy,^[5] who writes of elephants that, as the fighting and shouting grew, could less and less be controlled.^[1][7][2]

Semantic evolution

The sense “feebly, ineffectually” is rare;^[1] the usual one is “without self-control”, intemperately or tyrannically.^[1][7] The Bellum Alexandrinum says that Ganymedes reigned tyrannically, and Livy writes of the Gauls ruling with less restraint.^[1][2] Seneca uses the superlative of what someone did most unrestrainedly, and writes of those who use great power without control;^[1][7] Quintilian says that a boy must be warned not to act intemperately.^[1][2]

In British Medieval Latin it means weakly.^[8]

Timeline

• 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of elephants out of control and of unrestrained rule.^[1][5]
• 4 BC–65 AD – Seneca uses it of the abuse of great power.^[1][5]
• c. 35–95/96 AD – Quintilian uses it of a boy's intemperate behaviour.^[1][5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Feebly, ineffectually.^[1][7]
2. Without self-control, intemperately; tyrannically.^[1][7]

Related words

• impotēns
• potēns

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. ^ a b c d Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Bianchi, Rossella; Lelli, Olga (2014), VOLI: Vocabolario di latino, Florence: Le Monnier
5. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
6. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
7. ^ a b c d e Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
8. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press