A WORD A DAY.

Southland Times, Issue 21579, 17 December 1931, Page 8

A WORD A DAY.

POTENT. Every Latin student who has learned potens, “powerful,” may recognize in this word the original form almost unchanged. Our adjective continues to mean powerful but it has a few finer shades of meaning which one should understand as well. Physical power is not the predominant idea, but inherent, forceful mental or moral influence is regarded as potent. It might be defined as efficient rather than strong, cogent rather than mighty, authoritative rather than weighty. One who has potent faculties should use them wisely as an able, capable sovereign would do. The very name suggests latent strength which may produce the most farreaching effects and might involve countless numbers of people. A character which can influence others should influence them for good. Potency involves great responsib-, ility. The first syllable of po-tent is stressed. Sound o as in old, e as in recent. ‘Their arguments were potent.” FORTUITOUS. For. H.J.8.: This word was Englished by merely changing the us into ous (as was the case with “strenuous,” “arduous,” etc.) of the Latin fortuitus, “casual,” related to fors, “chance.” We use the word in the sense of “happening by chance or accident; coming or occurring unexpectedly, or without any known cause.” Pronounced for-tu-i-tus, with o as in odd (not as in orb), u as in use, i as in it, u as in circus.

_ Example: “It was not a fortuitous incident which brought about the Refonn.tUicm,’’