potere Italian · revision 37462

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=before 1237|origins=la possum}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /poˈte.re/, [poˈd̞e(ɾe)]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''potere''' (first-person singular present pòsso, first-person singular past historic potéi or (less common) potétti or (ditto, traditional) potètti, past participle potùto, first-person singular future potrò, no imperative, auxiliary avére or (as an auxiliary, with main verbs taking essere) èssere)^(Wiktionary)

+ Old forms include the infinitive ''possere'' (16th century) and, for the noun, ''podere'', ''podire'', ''potire'' and ''puotere''.^(DEI|3043)^(GDLI|13, 1116)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la-vul|*poteō|alt=*potēre]], the Vulgar Latin infinitive that replaced classical [[la|possum|alt=posse|t=to be able]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) The new infinitive was formed on the forms of the verb that begin with ⟨pot-⟩, such as ⟨potes⟩ “you can”, ⟨potuī⟩ “I could” and the participle ⟨potēns⟩, genitive ⟨potentis⟩ “powerful”.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3043)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) Nocentini sees in these forms a verbal stem ⟨*potē-⟩ beside the forms of ⟨potis esse⟩, and Devoto leaves open whether ⟨*potēre⟩ continues a prehistoric verb that survived in the participle.^(Nocentini 2010)^(Devoto 1968|340) Proto-Romance ⟨*/ˈpɔt-e-/⟩ is reconstructed from cognates in every Romance language without exception.^(DÉRom)

+

+ The Romance outcomes include [[fro|pooir]] (modern [[fr|pouvoir]]), [[oc|poder]], [[ca|poder]], [[es|poder]], [[pt|poder]], [[sc|podere]], [[fur|pode]], [[ro|putea]] and, at Veglia, [[dlm|potar]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935)

+

+ Latin ⟨posse⟩ is a contraction of ⟨potis esse⟩ “to be able, to be master”, from [[m|la|potis|t=able; master]] and [[m|la|sum|alt=esse|t=to be]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI) The adjective corresponds to [[sa|पति|tr=páti|t=lord, master, husband]], [[grc|πόσις|tr=pósis|t=husband]] and [[lt|pats|alt=pàts|t=himself]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ GRADIT dates the verb before 1237;^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) DELI's first record is in Guido Faba, before 1243, in the sense “to have the possibility, the faculty, the right or the permission”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) The noun follows before 1294 according to GRADIT;^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999) DELI cites Dante's ''podere'' “real capacity, strength”, before 1321.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Sicilian poets already used the noun for a lover's strength: ''così m'à tolto Amore ogne podere'' (“so has Love taken all my power from me”).^(GDLI|13, 1116) The political sense “supreme authority in a community or state, command” appears before 1367 in Fazio degli Uberti, and “control, possession” (''in potere di'', in someone's hands) in Torquato Tasso, before 1595.^(DELI 1999) The verb itself gained the sense “to have strength, effect or authority” by 1516, in Ariosto.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Modern Italian has many fixed terms for the noun in law and politics, such as ''potere legislativo'', ''divisione dei poteri'' and ''abuso di potere'', and in science, such as ''potere calorifico''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) The 19th century formed ''strapotere'' (1848) and ''prepotere'' (1849) “excessive power”.^(Nocentini 2010) The learned words ''potente'' and ''potenza'' come directly from [[la|potēns]] and [[la|potentia]], not from the Italian verb.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951)

+

+ Meyer-Lübke traced Italian [[podere]] “farm, estate” to the noun as well, and notes that a third-person phrase “it may be” became the word for “perhaps” in several languages, as in [[fr|peut-être]].^(REW 1935)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1237 – First record of the verb according to GRADIT.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1243 – Guido Faba uses ''potere'' “to be able, to be allowed”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – The noun is first recorded.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * Before 1321 – Dante uses the noun ''podere'' “capacity, strength”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1367 – Fazio degli Uberti uses the noun for “supreme authority, command”.^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|3043)

+ * 1516 – Ariosto uses the verb for “to have strength, influence”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 16th century – The infinitive ''possere'' is recorded.^(DEI|3043)

+ * Before 1595 – Tasso uses the noun for “control, possession”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1848 – ''Strapotere'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1849 – ''Prepotere'' is first recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # To be [[m|en|able]] to, to have the means, strength or capacity to do something; [[m|en|can]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To be allowed or [[m|en|authorized]] to; [[m|en|may]], also in polite requests: ''posso?'' “may I (come in)?”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # To be possible or likely: ''può darsi'', “maybe”; [[m|en|might]].^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Used with an object such as ''molto'' or ''tutto'': to have power or influence: ''quel ministro può tutto''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # [[m|en|ability|alt=Ability]], capacity or real possibility of doing something.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Influence over the behaviour of others; authority, ascendancy; [[m|en|control]], dominion: ''essere in potere di qualcuno''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Supreme [[m|en|authority]] in a group, community or state; those who exercise it: ''prendere il potere''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(law)'' Each of the functions of the state or of an office: ''potere legislativo, esecutivo, giudiziario''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Extraordinary or supernatural ability.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(science)'' The capacity of a body or substance to produce an effect: ''potere calorifico''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[strapotere]]

+ * [[prepotere]]

+ * [[contropotere]]

+ * [[potimento]]

+ * [[ripotere]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[riuscire]]

+ * [[sapere]]

+ * [[potente]]

+ * [[potenza]]

+ * [[possente]]

+ * [[possibile]]

+ * [[podere]]

+ * [[essere]]

+ * [[la|possum]]

+ * [[fr|pouvoir]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed expressions include ''a più non posso'' “with all one's might”, ''non poterne più'' “to be at the end of one's tether” and ''non poter vedere qualcuno'' “to be unable to stand someone”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) As a modal verb ''potere'' usually takes the auxiliary of the infinitive that follows it (''sono potuto partire'', ''ho potuto dormire'').^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}