potent

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 528 words | Copyright

potent1 powerful. XV. — L. potēns, -ent-, prp. of *potēre, posse be powerful or able, for potis esse; the base *pot- is repr. also by Skr. páti- lord, possessor, husband, Gr. pósis spouse, etc.; see -ENT.
So potentate (-ATE1) XIV. — (O)F. potentat or L. potentātus. potential possible, latent XIV (rare before XVI); (gram.) of a mood XVI. — OF. potencial (now -tiel) or late L. potentiālis, f. potentia, whence potency XVI, earlier potence XV (partly — OF. potence).

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T. F. HOAD. "potent." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "potent." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-potent.html

T. F. HOAD. "potent." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-potent.html

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