pouvoir French · revision 16206

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=842, Serments de Strasbourg|origins=la possum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /pu.vwaʁ/^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Louisiana): [pu.wɒɾ]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''pouvoir'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Old French [[m|fro|podeir]] (842), [[m|fro|poeir]], [[m|fro|pooir]], then ''povoir'' with an inserted ''v'', and ''pouvoir'' (1440).^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|fro|podeir]], [[inh|la-vul|*poteō|alt=*potēre]], a remaking of Classical Latin [[m|la|possum|alt=posse|t=to be able]] after the forms with the stem “pot-”: [[m|la|possum|alt=potest]], “potuī”, “poteram”.^(TLFi)^(FEW|9, 231b)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)^(Grand Robert 2005) “Posse” itself combines the adjective [[m|la|potis|t=master of, able]] with [[m|la|sum|t=to be]] (“potis est” “it is possible”) and an unattested verb “*poteō”.^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) “Potis” goes back to an Indo-European stem [[ine-pro|*pótis|t=master, lord]], which named the head of a family or clan, as in [[grc|πόσις|tr=pósis|t=husband]] and [[sa|पति|tr=pati|t=lord]].^(DHLF 1992)^(Petit Robert 2007) The “v” was added after the loss of the Latin “t” between vowels, to break the hiatus; the old first person “puis” comes from [[la-vul|*posseō]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ Cognate with [[ro|putea]], [[it|potere]], [[oc|poder]], [[ca|poder]], [[es|poder]] and [[pt|poder]].^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary) [[en|power]] comes from the Old French noun.^(Petit Robert 2007)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The Strasbourg Oaths (842) have ''podir'' with an infinitive, “to have the strength or ability to”: ''in quant Deus savir et podir me dunat'' “as far as God gives me knowledge and power”.^(TLFi)^(GLLF 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ By the end of the 10th century the subjunctive expressed a wish (''puisse-t-il…''), and about 1050 the verb meant “to have the opportunity to” and “to have reason to”.^(TLFi) Old French often used it with an adverb in place of a verb of motion, a use that survives in ''n'en pouvoir mais'' “to be worn out, unable to help it” (about 1160), ''on ne peut mieux'' (about 1485) and ''on ne peut plus'' + adjective (1768).^(TLFi) The impersonal ''il peut'' “it is possible” dates from about 1160, and [[peut-être]], from ''puet cel estre'' “that may be”, from about 1175.^(TLFi)^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ The infinitive became a noun, ''pouvoir'' “power, authority”, in the 12th century, according to Bloch and Wartburg.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989) The Grand Robert dates the noun to 1360, with ''podir'' “power” as early as 842.^(Grand Robert 2005) [[puissant]] (about 1080) and [[puissance]] (12th century) are built on the forms with ''puis-''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 842 – ''Podir'' in the Strasbourg Oaths.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1050 – “To have the opportunity to”, in the ''Vie de saint Alexis''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1080 – ''Puissant''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * c. 1160 – ''N'en pouvoir mais''.^(TLFi)

+ * c. 1175 – ''Peut-être''.^(Bloch & Wartburg 1989)

+ * 1440 – The spelling ''pouvoir''.^(DHLF 1992)^(Grand Robert 2005)

+ * 1768 – ''On ne peut plus'' + adjective, in Diderot.^(TLFi)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # [[m|en|can]], to be able to: to have the ability or means to do something.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # May: to be allowed to, to have the right to: ''puis-je entrer ?''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # May, might: marks possibility: ''il peut pleuvoir'', ''il se peut que'' “it may be that”.^(Wiktionary)^(Petit Robert 2007)

+ # ''(subjunctive)'' Expresses a wish: ''puissiez-vous réussir !''.^(TLFi)

+ # ''N'en plus pouvoir'': to be exhausted, ''n'y pouvoir rien'': to be unable to help it.^(GLLF 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|power]], ability: ''le pouvoir de guérir''.^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|authority]]; political power, government: ''prendre le pouvoir''.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[peut-être]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[puissance]]

+ * [[puissant]]

+ * [[possible]]

+ * [[la|possum]]

+ * [[en|power]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}