potis
Pronunciation
Forms
potis / pote (comparative potior, superlative potissimus)[1] It is indeclinable and used predicatively, potin stands for potisne, and Varro invented a nominative pos by analogy with impos.[2][3]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Italic *poti- (“master, in control”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *pótis (“master, lord, husband”).[4][1][5] The Indo-European noun became an adjective in Latin in the phrase potis esse and in the compounds compos and impos, and then acquired the comparative potior and superlative potissimus and the deponent verb meaning “to get possession” (potīrī); the TLL remarks that dominus took over the function of the old noun.[4][3] Cognate with Oscan pútíad (“may be able”), Sanskrit पति (páti-, “lord, husband”), Avestan paiti- (“lord”), Ancient Greek πόσις (pósis, “husband”), Lithuanian pats (“husband”), Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌸𐍆𐌰𐌸𐍃 (brūþfaþs, “bridegroom”) and Tocharian A pats (“husband”).[4][1] The verb possum arose from potis with sum, by a process de Vaan calls disputed, and potēns from an Italic stative verb *pot-ē- “to be master”.[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
It is found from Naevius onwards in the phrase potis esse “to be able”;[4] Plautus asks how he could persuade someone, and Ennius says that flowing blood cannot be stopped by any means.[2]
Semantic evolution
It meant able, with an infinitive, or liable to something, and in the neuter pote est “it is possible”, while quantum pote meant “as much as possible” and potin ut “is it possible that?”.[2][6] Varro quotes divi potes “the mighty gods” as a translation of the Greek name of the gods of Samothrace, the only declined use.[2][6][7]
Lewis and Short note that the positive is mostly pre-classical and poetic, and that in Classical prose only the comparative potior “preferable” and the adverb potius “rather” remain in use.[6] Medieval poets such as Wulfstan and Orderic Vitalis kept potis est, and Osbern of Gloucester glossed it as “possible”.[8]
Timeline
- c. 235–200 BC – Naevius has potis esse.[4]
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it in questions, potin ut.[2][9]
- 204–169 BC – Ennius has potis est with a passive infinitive.[2][6]
- 116–27 BC – Varro quotes divi potes and coins a nominative pos.[2][3][9]
- 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses potis est of what can never be separated.[6][9]
- 70–19 BC – Virgil has non potis est vis ulla tenere.[6][9]
Meanings
Adjective
- Able, having the power, with an infinitive; liable to.[2][6]
- (neuter, pote) Possible, as in pote est, it is possible.[2][1]
- (declined, rare) Powerful, mighty, of the gods.[2][6]
Word family
- compos
- impos
- possideō
- possum
- potestās
- potin
- potior
- potius
- -pte
- utpote
Related words
Usage notes
In Classical Latin the word lives on chiefly in possum “to be able”, in the comparative potior and the adverb potius “rather”, and in derivatives such as potestās and potēns.[4][6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ a b c Thesaurus linguae Latinae (1900–), Leipzig: Teubner; Berlin: De Gruyter; open-access ed., Munich: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
- ^ a b c d e f g de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
- ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959), Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Bern; Munich: Francke
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
- ^ 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
- ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de