pouvoir

can, to be able to; may (of a choice); to be possible; may, could be; to have the right (to); to have the power, the authority or the talent (to do something)

“Je peux venir ce soir.” — I can come this evening.

Inherited from Middle French povoir, from Old French povoir, pooir, from earlier Old French poeir, podeir, from Vulgar Latin potēre, regularization of Latin posse. The /-v-/ was eventually added, after the loss of the intervocalic dental, to break hiatus. The archaic 1SG present indicative puis is from a Vulgar Latin *posseō (rather than possō), for which cf. Old Catalan puix. Cognates See also Angevin pouvoér, Aragonese poder, Aromanian pot, puteari, Asturian poder, Bourguignon peuvoi, Catalan

power; authority; power of attorney

“prendre le pouvoir” — to take power, to seize power

Inherited from Middle French povoir, from Old French povoir, pooir, from earlier Old French poeir, podeir, from Vulgar Latin potēre, regularization of Latin posse. The /-v-/ was eventually added, after the loss of the intervocalic dental, to break hiatus. The archaic 1SG present indicative puis is from a Vulgar Latin *posseō (rather than possō), for which cf. Old Catalan puix. Cognates See also Angevin pouvoér, Aragonese poder, Aromanian pot, puteari, Asturian poder, Bourguignon peuvoi, Catalan