Etymologically
Log in

poto

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 16:03. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈpoː.toː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈpɔː.to][1]

Forms

pōtō (present infinitive pōtāre, perfect active pōtāvī, supine pōtum or pōtātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from ⟨pōtus⟩ “drunk”, with the frequentative suffix ⟨-tō⟩.[2][1] De Vaan traces ⟨pōtus⟩ to Proto-Indo-European *ph₃-tó- (“drunk”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₃- (“to drink”), with the full grade of the root aorist.[3] Cognate with Sanskrit पिबति (píbati, “drinks”), Ancient Greek πίνω (pínō, “I drink”), Aeolic Greek πώνω (pṓnō), Lithuanian puotà (“feast”) and Hittite pāš- (“to swallow”).[3][2][1]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Plautus, of drinking.[2] Köbler dates Plautus c. 250–184 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to drink, especially convivially, and intransitively to tipple, both in Plautus, and Plautus has vīnum pōtāre.[2][5] In Cicero it meant to swallow a liquid, in Varro to drink to quench thirst, and in Lucretius things soak up liquid.[2]

Its noun pōtiō gave English potion, and pōtābilis gave English potable.[6]

Timeline

  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of drinking.[2][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of soaking up.[2][4]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To drink.[2]
  2. To swallow (a liquid).[2]
  3. To tipple, drink heavily.[2]
  4. To soak up, absorb.[2]

Word family

  • appotus
  • compōtō
  • ēpōtō
  • perpōtō
  • pōtābilis
  • pōtātiō
  • pōtātor
  • pōtilis
  • pōtiō
  • pōtitō
  • pōtor
  • pōtrīx

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  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 c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com