Verbum Hodiernum: POTUS

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POTUS Dictionary Entry

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Today's word is POTUS, which is one of those sneaky fourth-declension nouns: pōtus is the nominative form, and pōtūs is the genitive. The Latin word means a "drink," from the verb potare, to drink, which also yields the Latin noun potio.

It is worth remembering the long o in the root, pōtus, because that can help you distinguish this word from the words having to do with power and ability, as in potest, "it can," potens, "powerful," etc.

From the same Latin root we get the English word "potable," for example, and "potion." Indirectly, the English word "poison" also comes from this Latin root, via the Old French puison, which in turn derives from Latin potio. The term POTUS, however, meaning "President of the United States," is an acronym; it is not an English use of the Latin word. :-)

Here are some examples of today's word in Latin sayings and proverbs; for more information, see the page at the Scala Sapientiae, which contains notes on some of the proverbs cited below, as well as additional proverbs:

Quando venit potus, cessat sermo quasi totus.

Aqua et panis potus et escula canis.

Somno, esca, potu, nemo carere potest.

Cibi, potus, somni, Venus, omnia moderata sint.

Si sitit inimicus tuus, potum da illi.

Non cibus aut potus, cura saginat equum.

Furtivus potus plenus dulcedine totus.

Potus furtivus dulcis est.

Ebibe vas totum, si vis cognoscere potum.

Caeno puram aquam turbans numquam invenies potum.

Cibus et potus desiderio condiuntur.

Deus qui fecit totum , benedicat cibum et potum.

Inspice bis potum, et chartam subscribe scienter.

Non est enim regnum Dei esca et potus , sed iustitia et pax.

Potum meum cum fletu miscebam.

Potus hominibus est vinum; aqua pecudibus.

Potus non frangit ieiunium.

Si esurierit inimicus tuus, ciba illum; si sitit, potum da illi.

Si inquines fontem luto, non potum habebis limpidum.

Solet cibus, cum sumitur, tacitos efficere, potus loquaces.