potentialis

Forms

potentiālis (neuter potentiāle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin potentia (“power”) + -ālis.^[1][2][3] Köbler refers it to potēns (“powerful”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in Marius Victorinus' treatise against Arius,^[2][5][4] where the Son is called an actio potentialis, an activity that is at the same time the possibility of everything that exists.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Late Latin also had the adverb potentialiter.^[2][1] In the scholastic Latin of Thomas Aquinas the adjective meant both “belonging to a power”, beside virtualis, and “possible”, the opposite of actualis.^[6] British medieval sources use it in grammar, logic and philosophy, and of heat or cold that is present in potential as against in act.^[3] Polish documents also used it for “wielding power, powerful”.^[7]

English took over potential in the late 14th century, from medieval Latin potentialis, partly through Old French.^[8]

Timeline

• first half of the 4th century AD – Marius Victorinus calls the Son an actio potentialis.^[2][5][4]
• late 14th century – English potential is borrowed, partly through French.^[8]
• 1405 – A Kraków document speaks of the potentialis auctoritas of princes.^[7]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of or belonging to a power or faculty.^[2][6]
2. (Medieval Latin, philosophy) potential, possible, as opposed to actual.^[3][6]
3. (Medieval Latin) Wielding power, powerful.^[7]

Word family

• potentialiter

Related words

• English potential

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
3. ^ a b c 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
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c Schütz, Ludwig (1895), Thomas-Lexikon, 2nd ed., Paderborn: F. Schöningh
7. ^ a b c Lexicon mediae et infimae Latinitatis Polonorum (1953–), Kraków: Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN; electronic ed. elexicon.scriptores.pl
8. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com