Etymologically
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potens

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Forms

potēns (genitive potentis, comparative potentior, superlative potentissimus); third-declension adjective of one ending[1]

Etymology

The OLD takes it as the participle of possum (“to be able”).[1][2] De Vaan derives it from a verb Proto-Italic *pot-ē- (“to be master”), with a stative meaning, which is found in Oscan pútíad (“may be able”); it is built on potis (“able”), from Proto-Indo-European *pót-i- (“master, lord”).[3]

Cognate with Sanskrit पति (páti, “lord, husband”), Ancient Greek πόσις (pósis, “husband”) and Lithuanian pàts (“husband”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler dates it from Plautus,[2] who has pācisque potentēs, soror, fuimus, “we have won (Venus') favour, sister”.[1] Terence asks quis is est tam potēns cum tantō mūnere hoc?, “who is it so well provided, with such a gift?”.[1]

Semantic evolution

Potēns is first “endowed with” or “having obtained” something; with a genitive “having power over” (suī potēns, one's own master; in Lucretius kings rērum potentēs, masters of the world), and “in control of” oneself or one's feelings.[1] It is “capable of”, and absolutely “able, capable”.[1] Most often it is “powerful, influential” in politics or society, of gods “mighty”, and as a noun “a powerful man”.[1][4] It is used of physical forces, “strong” (Virgil: sōlemque potentem, “the fierce sun”), and of abstract things, reasons and proofs, “potent, effective”.[1]

Church Latin glosses it “powerful, mighty, strong”.[5] In Medieval Latin it also means “having full powers, authorized”.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus: pācisque potentēs.[1][2]
  • 190–159 BC – Terence: minus potēns quam tū, “less powerful than you”.[1][2]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius: rērum potentēs.[1][2]
  • 70–19 BC – Virgil: sōlemque potentem.[1][2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Endowed with; having obtained (something).[1]
  2. Having power over, master of (with a genitive); in control of oneself.[1]
  3. capable (of); able.[1]
  4. powerful, influential, mighty.[1][4][5]
  5. Strong (of forces); potent, effective.[1]
  6. (Medieval Latin) Authorized, having full powers.[6]

Noun

  1. A powerful or influential person.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  5. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill