"power" in seven languages
Meaningpower
Spanish
poder
/poˈdeɾ/
masc.inherited
French
pouvoir
/puvwaʁ/
masc.inherited
Italian
potere
/poˈtere/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
poder
/poˈdeh/
masc.inherited
Romanian
putere
/puˈtere/
fem.inherited
Catalan
poder
/puˈde/
masc.inherited
English
power
/ˈpaʊɚ/
from Latin/French · Anglo-French poer
English → ItalianpowerpotereCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
*POTĒRE‘to be able (Vulgar Latin, replacing classical POSSE)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Like duty, power is a verb used as a noun: 'being able'. Spoken Latin regularised the awkward POSSE into *POTĒRE, and English power is the Old French form.
English relatives: power, potent, potential, possible
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl poder corrompe.
- frLe pouvoir corrompt.
- itIl potere corrompe.
- ptO poder corrompe.
- roPuterea corupe.
- caEl poder corromp.
- enPower corrupts.